Change For The Both Of Us
by JustARandomBrit
Summary: <html><head></head>Nine years after last seeing her, Poseidon Olympia discovers the death of his high-school sweetheart, Sally Jackson. And what has she left him in her will? A son. Perseus Jackson is an odd boy, there's no doubt about it. Read as the pair meet, learn to love, and struggle to get through their troubles...Father/Son bonding. AU. No slash. Canon pairings. Rated T. Cover image NOT mine!</html>
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, readers, so this is my first attempt at a Percy Jackson story. I've been writing this for months - in fact, it's all finished and completed, just waiting to be updated. I finished the last chapter today and decided at having a crack at publishing it. Usually I don't because I never finish.**

**Part of this story is inspired by _Amidst the Darkness _by MrsJackson3. It's a brilliant story and I strongly suggest you guys to check it out if you haven't already. Especially if you love Percy/Poseidon bonding and stuff. In fact, it's the story that urged me to begin writing this. Anyway, I'm going to leave this here for now. I'll warn you now that there is mild swearing and sexual references in the chapter ahead and other chapters. **

**Hope you enjoy the first chapter :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON, EVERYTHING IS OWNED BY RICK RIORDAN.**

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><p><span><strong>Poseidon's POV:<strong>

It starts off as a perfectly regular day.

I wake up, a little later than usual, and head downstairs to the kitchen for my morning cup of milky coffee (two sugars) whilst I text my sister, Hestia, who's just returned from a business trip to Australia (she's a social worker). For some reason, she wanted to meet me as soon as possible – at work, actually. I own an aquarium just twenty minutes away from my home; it's one of the biggest in New York. It's a little strange that Hestia wants to meet me so soon after her business trip, going as far as meeting me at _work_. I know that it has to be important. So I agree, get dressed, and leave the house. The roads are horrendous. Being the middle of the summer holidays, parents are taking their children on daytrips. A popular place to visit is obviously my aquarium, so it takes me an extra ten minutes to reach it.

Nereid is waiting for me as I enter through the back door, away from all the tourists. "Good morning, Poseidon," she says.

I smile; Nereid is a close friend of mine. She and her father are in charge of the care for all the animals here. "Good morning, Nereid,"

"Your sister called. She said she'll drop by at about noon,"

I check my watch – its 8am.

"Alright. Do me a favour and tell me when she arrives,"

"Sure,"

And with that we split up – Nereid heads off the tropical exhibit, probably to prepare for a tour she'll be doing later, whilst I go to the arctic exhibit. We have a new arrival; a baby sea lion. She was found off the coast of California last week, abandoned by her parents. My aquarium specialises in nursing injured sea creatures back to health. She arrived yesterday.

"How's Glimmer doing?" I ask Nereus as I come to the baby's tank. Half of the aquarium is devoted to showing off fish in tanks for people to see, but a majority of it is closed off to employees only.

"Think she's rather happy," Nereus comments. He's Nereid's father – however he's very bitter. "Lonely, though,"

I dip my hand into the tank and Glimmer curiously comes to prod it. I bite back a smile. "Any health problems?"

"Grazed flipper, malnutrition. Nothing we ain't seen before,"

"Good. That means once she's old enough, we can release her into the wild," I say.

I sit next to Glimmer's tank for a while, seeing how she reacts to things like my hand being in the water and being stroked. She quite likes it, though she still seems bored. Eventually, I have to leave to sort out other things around the aquarium.

Nereid texts me a few hours later; Hestia has arrived. I change out of my wetsuit (I was feeding the dolphins) and head over to my office.

"Sister," I greet, grinning.

Hestia, my beautiful older sister, beams and strides over to hug me. Out of everyone in my family – my brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, parents, etc. – Hestia is the only one who I see at least once a week. You see, my family is extremely...dysfunctional. We don't like each other. We stay to ourselves. Hell if I can tell you the last time we were all together and didn't end up fighting with one of them after five minutes.

"Oh, it's wonderful to see you again, Poseidon," Hestia says, pulling away.

I kiss her cheek and smile. "It's been a week, Hestia,"

"I don't care. Even a week is a long time,"

I sit down and motion for her to take a seat opposite my desk. "So, what's so important?" I ask.

Hestia (clearly) feigns confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, sister," I roll my eyes. "Why else would you demand to meet me so soon after your business trip if something important hadn't happened,"

"Alright, you got me," she sighs. "I've just received news, Poseidon. Something...something life-changing,"

I frown. "As in...?"

Hestia purses her lips, as though she doesn't know how to tell me. She reaches into her briefcase, which is clearly from work, and pulls out a folder. Opening it, she takes out an A4 sized photograph and slides it across the desk to me.

"Do you recognise this woman, Poseidon?"

I study it. The woman in the picture is rather beautiful – tall and slim with curly brown hair and pretty brown eyes. She's smiling at the camera, though she looks tired beyond her years with lines of grey in her hair. But the woman can't be any older than twenty eight. She looks rather unhealthy, too, with deep purple, bruise-like bags beneath her eyes and worryingly gaunt features. Behind the tiredness, however, I do see something familiar. That face...

"I think I might have gone high school with her," I say. "Though she certainly looks older than me,"

Hestia smiles sadly, as though she knows something I don't.

"Her name is Sally Jackson,"

Sally Jackson. Now that is a _very_ familiar name. In my last year of high school I dated her – in fact, she was my longest running relationship even to this day. What made her special was that she's the person I lost my...y'know...to. But why does she look so weary and ill?

"I dated her," I say, resting my chin on my fist and staring at the photo, slightly in awe. Is it really possible for someone to change so drastically in merely a decade? "In Senior year,"

God, how have I never thought about Sally until now? When I dated her, I was sure I was in love. I even wanted to marry her when we graduated but by demon of a father forced us to separate. I was sent off to a college across the country and Sally just drifted away, never to be seen again by me or my family.

"I know," Hestia says, nodding.

"Why are you showing me this?" I ask, leaning back and shaking the mistiness from my mind. "What's so important?"

My sister purses her lips again. "Sally Jackson died last year, Poseidon. She committed suicide whilst in jail,"

My jaw drops. Prison? Suicide?! Why would Sally ever do that? I mean, a brilliant woman like her should be married to a millionaire – not wasting away in a jail cell! Sally was a goody two-shoes in school; shy, calm, absolutely breathtaking..._damn it, Poseidon, snap out if it!_ What did Sally ever do to get into jail? Maybe she was framed. Yeah, that's the only explanation...

"Why?" I question, voice croaky.

"Her home was raided and police found all sorts of things. Stolen property, drugs, illegal weapons..."

I gape, speechless. "But...but Sally wasn't like that!" I say, trying to keep my voice below a shout. "She was sweet, kind, the most harmless person in the world-,"

"People change, brother," Hestia cuts in softly. "I'm sorry. Sally was sentenced to ten years in jail and hung herself two months into it. Her boyfriend of the time was only sentenced to five years, being an accomplice,"

I hide my face in my hands. I know that people change. Everyone does. But like this? This is...this is...ridiculous. I can't comprehend it.

Hestia is silent for many minutes, before I finally look up and straighten my face; clearing it of emotions. "So, is that it?" I ask.

Hestia takes out another photo, placing it over the one of Sally. "Do you recognise him?"

The photo is of a young boy. Seven, maybe eight years old. He's sat on a sofa, knees pulled against his chest as he watches what must be the TV. As the picture was taken he's glanced over, giving full perspective of his face. The boy has messy black hair which is naturally windswept and unkempt, like my own, and his sea green eyes shine in the blue light of the TV. Again, like mine. He looks tired and mature for his age. Unlike Sally's photo, however, I don't recognise him in the slightest.

"No," I shake my head.

"Alright," Hestia says slowly, looking displeased. "This is Sally's son, Percy,"

Son. So she did move on from me. But he looks eight years old. That meant she must have gotten pregnant about a year after we split up, if not earlier. Something pinches my heart and I wince. Wow...I thought I meant more to her than that. It took two years for the two of us to finally take _that_ step. For Sally to take that step with another man so soon after our breakup and so soon into that new relationship seems extremely...un-Sally. But then again, she changed. Maybe she changed as soon as we broke up...

I remember again Sally's death and imprisonment. "So, what's the kid doing now?" I ask. "Living with his dad?"

"No," Hestia replies, shaking her head. "Percy claims he never met his biological father. He lives here, in New York, at a children's home,"

I cringe. My parents left me in a children's home for a week when I was young to teach me a lesson because I misbehaved. It was the worst week of my pre-adolescent life. "But he's happy?"

I don't know why I ask it. It seems polite. After all, he's Sally's boy.

Hestia hesitates. "I'm not too sure," she replies. "I purposefully drove past the home this morning...it's one of the most depressing places I've ever seen. Plus what other social workers have said about him..."

There's more silence. "...Why are you telling me this?" I ask again.

"I have this letter for you," Hestia says, avoiding the question. "It's from Sally. She left it in her will for you if she ever passed. It's only just been found in some of her old belongings. I hope you don't mind, but I've already read it..."

I take the envelope slowly. A letter from Sally? Addressed to me? What? Hestia nods encouragingly as I hesitate before opening it. I take out the letter – it doesn't look very old or worn, so it can't be aged – and unfold it.

_Poseidon,_

_You have no idea how many times I've written one of these for you. Every time my life changes I feel inclined to – otherwise it isn't fair on neither you or Percy. If you're reading this, I am dead. About time, too. And it also means that social workers feel that you are suitable to inherit my most precious possession._

_I guess that I should begin from the start._

_I loved you, Poseidon. You and another are the only two people I have ever loved. When we were dating in high school, it was the happiest time of my life, despite what was happening to me at home. My uncle had cancer. I never told you – why, I'll never know. I was so young and stupid. I thought that the tiniest thing would ruin what we had together. I was scared of that happening. You were my everything._

_Your father made us split up – I don't blame you for that and I never will. Once you left, my uncle died. I was alone. I didn't want to call you for help with money because I didn't want to burden you. You were already stressed with the pressure that your father was putting on you and I couldn't bring myself to talk to you. I made myself believe that everything would be okay. I could still get a job, make some money, just enough to afford some late night college lessons..._

_That was, until I discovered I was pregnant._

_I'm sorry that I never told you, Poseidon. It's the biggest mistake that I've ever made and I regret it to this day. I had a boy – the moment he was born, I knew he was yours. He had black hair, and when he opened his eyes they were green. Not blue, like a regular newborn baby. They were the brightest shade of green I've ever seen, even to this day. I named him Perseus Jackson, or just Percy for short. I love him more than life itself, Poseidon. Though I don't think he knows that. I've screwed up. Big time._

_The pregnancy was difficult. I was practically homeless, without a job, constantly coming down with illnesses that put my baby at risk...I had two options. I could call you, beg you for help. But I didn't think you'd care. Or I could sell myself to other men. Go on. Be disgusted. It was the only option I had left in my mind. I managed to make enough money to pay for the hospital bill and some things to care for Percy with. A client allowed me to stay with him for a while (at a price). I stayed with him for a year before leaving._

_Percy and I have been bouncing back and forth between homes and people for years. I don't think that I can explain it all in just one letter. But to sum it up, Percy is old for his age. He's nine years old and he acts like an adult, Poseidon. He never got a proper childhood. Of course, he goes to school. And he's such a bright young lad, if it isn't for his ADHD and Dyslexia. I'm afraid that I've been a terrible mother to him, too. One of my past boyfriends taught him the art of theft. Another used him to smuggle drugs past police. But it was the price we had to pay if we didn't want to die._

_Life is tough, Poseidon. And I can't handle it. I've done it all. Prostitution, drugs, crime...and I realise now that this isn't how I want my life to be like. All I want is for my son to be happy. But I can't offer him that. I've left him at foster homes and he's run away from them until he found me again. Percy __needs__ a proper life._

_I plan on doing something stupid and selfish. My boyfriend, Gabe, is a drug addict and I've done a fair share of illegal activities in the past and now in the present. I'm going to call the police and pretend to be a neighbour. They'll raid the apartment, throw me and Gabe into jail...and take Percy to a children's home. He won't be able to leave there with his past records. With time, he'll even be happy there. Finally._

_I obviously don't make it out of jail if you are reading this, Poseidon. I'll never see Percy again, not even through the bars of my cell. That isn't what I want. I want him to be happy, but I want him to have a parent too. He cannot become an orphan._

_That is why I'm asking you this, Poseidon – if I die, at least get to meet Percy. Tell him you're his dad. He's been dreaming of a proper father since he understood what the word meant. I don't know how he'll feel about you but it's all that I can ask from you is to let him know he still has someone. Please._

_I don't have much time. Percy will be home from school soon. Maybe, if we meet again, I can tell you the whole story. I hope so. Breaking all contact to you was the biggest mistake of my life._

_With love,  
>-Sally Jackson.<em>

I drop the letter on to the desk, staring at the words. Son. I have a son. Sally's son is mine. She wants me to meet him...

I feel Hestia's eyes boring into mine, taking in my expression.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I have a son," I breathe, looking back at the picture of Percy. Of course – the hair, the eyes, even the small sheepish smile and the glimmer of mischievousness – they're all my features. It's true. He's my son.

Hestia nods. "And I have a nephew," she adds, sounding pleased.

I rub a hand over my eyes. God...what did Sally do to herself? Whatever made her think that she couldn't come to me for help? It has to be my father's fault. Curse him, Kronos. That man could take over the world (not that he hasn't tried...).

But wait, no. No more thinking about Sally or my father. There's only one thing that matters – Sally's final wish, for me to meet Percy.

Do I want a child? I think for a few seconds, but no 'yes' or 'no' answer comes. Can I handle being a father? Percy is nine years old (though he looks younger). That means I've missed out on the midnight-diaper-changes and a lot of pointless wailing and crying. Surely I can handle a nine year old. Zeus's daughter, Thalia, is twelve. Hades's son, Nico, is six. If my brothers can handle children, I can too.

"When can I meet him?"

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - done. I wrote this months ago and I've read through it multiple times. I apologise for any spelling mistakes or grammatical issues. If you enjoyed or think you have any good advice, please drop a review. No flames, unless it's constructive criticism (which I appreciate, by the way). Anything that will help me improve my writing.<strong>

**As I've said, I've already completed the story. The next chapter isn't of Poseidon and Percy meeting: that'll come in chapter 3, if you guys are interested. Chapter two will be uploaded tomorrow when I get home from school, and I'll continue to update either daily/every other day.**

**Anyway, I'll go now. Please tell me if this chapter was okay - again, I was inspired by _Amidst the_ Darkness, which is like my favourite story. Follow, favourite, whatever...yeah, I'll just be going :S**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, chapter 2 is here! I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported the first chapter - those who have followed, reviewed and added the story to their favourites :D It's a big influence on how fast I update. As promised, however, I'm delivering to you this chapter tonight (I was going to publish it earlier but I've been at a friend's house, so...)**

**Before we go on, I just want to point out a few things. **

**One: the following chapter does contain swearing and I think some mild sexual references, but be wary all the same.**

**Two: this second paragraph does sorta insult foster parents/adoptive parents. I personally believe foster/adoptive parents are brilliant people - my friend is adopted, and her parents are amazing - but I wanted to bring on Percy's opinion, get what I mean? I'm certain that there are no children homes out there that are like this place and I just wanted to make that clear. I'll also mention it at the bottom, to avoid anyone getting offended.**

**Three: The cover photo, though not very good quality, was drawn and is owned by me. I'm trying to find out a way to scan it into my computer a bit better than just taking a picture of it with my phone. Just throwing that out there.**

**Well, that's all for now. Hope you guys enjoy, and have a nice day :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON**

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><p><span><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

I've been in this children's home for just over nine months now. I can easily say that it's been the weirdest nine months of my life. Not only is my mom dead, killed by her own hand, but I've not had to do anything illegal or move home like I would with my mom. Apparently, this home is permanent until someone decides to adopt me. Yeah, as if that'll ever happen.

Foster and adoptive parents always look for the perfect children. The good-looking, innocent, smiley kids. The ones without mental problems like ADHD and Dyslexia and that don't ask questions and don't constantly fidget. **(1) **That's basically a definition of me. I'm the opposite of a perfect child. No one's ever going to adopt me.

I went through all the hassle of social workers and therapy late last year when my mom was found hanging from her prison cell. She was thrown in there for possessing stuff like drugs and illegal things with one of her many boyfriends. The social workers were worried because I didn't seem to be effected by her death. Truthfully, I wasn't as sad as I should have been. My mom was a druggie, prostitute (she tried to hide it from me but it was _so_ obvious), an alcoholic...I know she cared about me, and I cared about her. But she was wasting away. The reason I wasn't sad when she died was because I knew that she could finally be at rest, away from all the trouble of life.

Anyway, the social workers are gone. That's why I'm surprised when Miss Martha (the head of the children home) calls me into the 'family room' and there's a pretty woman who's dressed in a smart blouse and skirt sat at the table.

"Hello, Percy," the woman smiles, standing up and shaking my hand as Miss Martha backs out of the room. "My name's Hestia Olympia,"

"Hi," I reply shortly. "Nice to meet you,"

Hestia takes a seat back at the table and I sit opposite her, a little nervous. What's going on? Does the children's home not want me anymore? Is she here about the fight I had with Cameron Sweeney, because in my defence the jerk deserved worse than what he got...

"So, Percy," Hestia says, opening a file and scanning a couple of notes. I try to read them but my Dyslexia has a bitch fit when I see the small cursive handwriting they're written in. "How are you?"

"Good," I shrug. "This place is okay. Why are you here?"

Hestia stares at me, a small smile tugging at her lips, as though I remind her of something nice. "I'm here because of your mother's will," she replies.

I blink. "Her will?" I repeat. "My mom had a will?"

"Oh, yes. There wasn't much of it, however. She requested that any money in her account be given to you on your sixteenth birthday, and she also left a letter for someone," Hestia says.

"Who?" I ask.

"One of your mother's past boyfriends,"

"Which one? There were a few,"

"Her high-school sweetheart," Hestia says. "She was in a relationship with him for their last two years of high-school and after graduation they were planning on marrying each other. Only her boyfriend's father forced them to split up and sent him off to college, so they never met again,"

I frown. Mom mentioned a few years ago that she became pregnant with me in high school. So if she was dating this guy in her last two years...

"What's his name?" I question curiously.

"Poseidon Olympia,"

"Olympia?" I repeat. "Is there...a relation between you two?"

Hestia smiles. "As a matter of fact, there is. Poseidon is my little brother,"

I stare at her for a few seconds. "Okay...what does he have to do with me?" I ask. "Does mom want some of her money to go to him?"

"No, Percy. Your mother left Poseidon a letter which told him that you were his son," says Hestia.

I stare at her again, this time for longer, my eyes narrowed as I try to detect the lie in her voice. "...What?" I say dumbly, not yet taking in the fact.

"I don't have the letter with me, however I did read it," Hestia says. "Your mother wrote about how she'd never felt happier in her life than when she was with Poseidon. When he was forced to move away she found out she was pregnant, however she was too scared to ever tell him,"

"My dad," I say slowly, the words feeling foreign. "Your little brother...does that mean you're, like, my aunt?"

"Yes, I believe so,"

"And you're not really a social worker?"

"No, I am. My boss found the letter in Sally's will and specifically gave the case to me as it involves my family,"

I nod slowly, staring at the scrubbed wooden table. Father. I have a father. And an aunt. Does that mean I've got more family?

It sinks in.

_Wait..._

I have a father. He's not dead like I would sometimes assume when things went sour and I would wish for someone to help me. I'm not an orphan.

"What does this mean?" I ask, trying to mask the emotions building up inside of me. Excitement. Worry. Shock. Pain. Giddiness. Fear...

"Your mother asked just one thing of your father," Hestia says. "She wanted you two to meet. She didn't ask for him to take you in, but just to make sure that you know you're never alone. She loved you a lot, Percy. She only wanted what was best for you. That's why she...well, maybe one day you can read the lesson,"

I try not to feel angry. I have a right to read what my mother said! That's not fair! I see the look on Hestia's face, which is apologetic, and quickly calm down.

"Meet?" I repeat.

"Poseidon has agreed," Hestia tells me. "I spoke to him yesterday when I returned from Australia on a business trip. He says he isn't sure about how he feels about having a child, but he'd be willing to meet with you. As long as you want to,"

"Yes," I reply, shocking even myself with my lack of hesitation.

_Wait, are you sure_? A voice in my head asks. _Your dad. You could meet your real dad. And he might be mean. _Of course he won't be mean, look at Hestia! _You never know..._

"Are you sure, Percy?" Hestia asks.

I nod. "Yeah. I mean, it's what my mom wanted. She told me about him sometimes, but she never gave a name. It made her sad to think about him though she would always tell me how alike I am to him. Apparently we have the same eyes,"

Hestia smiles fondly. "Oh, you do. And you have his hair. Black hair runs in the family," she tugs a curl of hair falling out of her loose but sophisticated bun. "Though I'm not sure where you both got the messiness from,"

I manage a small smile, unable to stop myself from running a hand through my ruffled, windswept hair. Hestia is nice. Hopefully that runs in the family as well. "Anyway, when would be a good time for the pair of you to meet?"

"I'm not in school until September," I shrug. "I'm not busy at all until then,"

"Alright, then how does Saturday sound?"

I just nod.

Hestia writes something down, fills in some paperwork, and asks me to sign one or two things. Apparently it was proof that I've consented to this meeting. As she leaves, Hestia gives Miss Martha her phone number in case something happens that could postpone the meeting. She gives me a final smile, and leaves.

I go to bed that evening with the rather good feeling in my gut. It takes a second for that good feeling to suddenly feel very terrible.

What if my dad doesn't like me? What if he finds out I have Dyslexia and ADHD and abandons me on the sidewalk or something? Or maybe he'll get me to smuggle something through a police blockade like Hugh and some of mom's other boyfriends did and then tell me off for not being relaxed enough. I sigh, rubbing my eyes. Some people say I act older than I am. I get stressed out easier than any child should – though I hate to admit that I am a child.

"We're only meeting," I mutter under my breath. "It's not like I'm going to go and live with him, for heaven's sake. I hardly know what he looks like..."

I've never been good with trust. I didn't speak to anyone at the children's home for weeks when I was first shipped here. I'll admit that I feel more relaxed than usual around Hestia, despite her being a stranger. I don't know why, either. Part of her felt...familiar? No, that just sounds stupid. Hestia is simply nicer than the other social workers, that's all.

I throw the sheets off my legs and climb out of bed. My bedroom here at the children's home is in the loft, because it's so crowded anywhere else there's no room anywhere else. I share with two other boys – Bart and Ralf.

"You'll get caught," Bart mutters sleepily as I open the skylight. He rolls over and half-opens an eye. "You did last time,"

"I was distracted last time," I retort, hauling myself through the skylight, the cold night air causing goosebumps to appear on my skin. "I was clumsy and slipped – that's why Miss Martha caught me,"

"Mm-hmm," Bart mutters. "Whatever..." and he falls back to sleep.

Once I'm on the roof, I close the skylight so the other boys won't get cold and walk carefully along the slabs until I'm sat on the top of the slant, facing the moon. It's full tonight. Usually, I'm not the sit-still kind of guy (because of my ADHD) but looking at the moon somehow calms me. It kind of slows down my brain; lets me calm down enough to be able to sleep. Hopefully it will clear all my worrisome thoughts about my father.

My father. I know, I keep saying it. It seems so surreal. I wonder how he reacted to finding out he had a son. He was probably more shocked than anything, like me. Hell, I'm still in shock. It's sinking in slower than a damn snail...

I'm not sure how long I was sat on the roof, but I know it was long enough for the black sky to begin turning orange by the time I moved. I'm tired, but still restless. Part of me thinks about why I like staring at the moon so much. My mom was a heavy sleeper – she'd sleep at every chance she could get. But when she wasn't asleep, she would look at the moon too. I must get part of it from her. I don't like sleeping anyway. I have nightmares, and usually wake up feeling worse.

Being human is stupid. You have so many needs. I heard in school that sharks don't sleep. Being a shark would be cool. Like Jaws...

Stupid ADHD. See the places my mind wanders too?

I clamber back into the loft and check the time. 5:39. Geez, I was been sat on the roof for almost six hours thinking about sharks. _Sharks._ No wonder my ass hurts and I feel like I've lost a bunch of IQ points. I slide back into bed and close my eyes, waiting for sleep to come...waiting...waiting...

I sigh and open my eyes. 6:07. Alright, looks like another all-nighter for me.

Giving up, I get out of bed again. The younger kids will probably be waking up soon and they'll need someone to entertain them. I often say that it's sad that I'm better at making friends with children under the age of four than I am making friends with children my own age. But younger children are so much nicer. They don't judge you. They're cute and innocent and have no idea what the world around them is really like. Plus, I missed out on a lot of my childhood. Interacting with young children makes me sometimes feel like I'm getting a taste of what I could have had.

Sure enough, peeking into the toddler's room, Gracie's climbing out of her bed. Her big brown eyes land on me. "Percyyy!" she exclaims loudly, grinning to show off her missing front teeth.

I smile fondly, hurrying into the room and shushing her. "Careful, Gracie, the others are asleep," I whisper, pointing to the other children. Gracie blushes and giggles, nodding eagerly. Despite her being seven years younger than me, Gracie's like my best friend. She's so cute and sweet. She wants to be a doctor when she's older and always makes me lie down and pretend to be ill for her.

"Can I have some frosties?" Gracie asks, voice deadly quiet. I nod, hauling her on to my back and go downstairs, heading to the kitchen to make us both some breakfast. As I pour the cereal, a thought occurs in my mind, and it finally sinks in. _I'm meeting my father on Saturday._

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><p><strong>1) I've made this point on the the AN at the top of the page, but I just want to say that everything about children's home and stuff is made up. Foster and adoptive parents are amazing people for what they do and I hope I don't offend anyone - everything written was purely made up to go with the story and was Percy's opinion...just to make it clear, y'know?**

**If you guys enjoyed, I hope you'll leave another review - constructive criticism is welcome however no flames :( I'm not sure when I'll next update - Saturday, Sunday maybe. It all depends on the response I get. If you don't want to miss the next chapter, go ahead and follow. I'll see you all next time and thanks again to all the awesome people who followed/favourited/reviewed the first chapter :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**I know, I said I was going to update on Saturday - technically, it is Saturday. It's 00:12. Excuse me if I'm somehow hyper at this hour - I'm having a sleepover with my friend Faye and I've just finished singing 'Car Wash' with my friend over Facebook chat. I've got weird friends.**

**Anyway, that's off subject. Thanks again to those to supported the last chapter - here it is, at least! Percy and Poseidon's meeting! I hope you all enjoy it and think that it's all not too OC and stuff. Both Percy and Poseidon's personalities reflect my own personality. At school I'm really shy and quiet and dorky because I have a few issues with speech and people never understand what I say. It's a real confidence crusher. However around my closest friends who I've known for years, I'm the loudest, weirdest person ever. I've based Percy and Poseidon's personalities off of my weird witty side that no one ever sees a lot of. So, yeah...**

**That's all for now, guys. Be wary of any swear words and stuff, and enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON**

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><p><span><strong>Poseidon's POV<strong>

"You're panicking again," Hestia says in a sing-song voice, glancing over at me with a smirk on her face.

"Am not," I huff, resting my cheek on me fist, glaring at the dashboard of my sister's car. You can probably guess that we're on our way to meet my son, Percy – the son I only found out I have a few days ago.

"Fine. You're nervous. Take your pick,"

I divert my glare to Hestia, who raises her eyebrow at me. I open my mouth to make a quip, but close it again. I feel ill. Who knew that meeting your long-lost child could make you this damn jittery...

"What's he like?" I ask after another five minutes of silence. I assume that Hestia is tired of hearing me say that by now, but she just smiles. Always so humble, my sister.

"Well, when I met him, he was confused as to why I was there," she says. "He was a little quiet and shy. I could see that he was very withdrawn, too. When I told him about you, he looked shocked. But he didn't hesitate in agreeing to meet you today. He wanted to honour his mother's last wish. Oh, and he was curious. He's a lot like you, Poseidon. Physically and mentally, it seems,"

A smile tugs at my lips. I don't know why, but hearing that makes my chest feel warm. It's a weird sensation. I just hope I don't come across as too awkward when we do meet. And that Percy is somewhat...accepting of me. The last thing I need is an angry little boy glaring at me for the next hour.

We pull into the driveway of the children's home. Hestia was right – it is the most miserable place I've ever seen. "C'mon," Hestia urges, getting out of the car.

I follow her to the door. Hestia knocks and a teenage girl answers. "Yeah?" she asks, chewing gum, staring down at her phone. She can't be any older than thirteen.

"We're here to see Miss Martha," Hestia says.

The girl glances up through mascara-coated eyelashes and motions for us to enter. Once the door closes behind us the girl disappears upstairs. Hestia and I stand in the hallway which leads through to the kitchen at the back of the house. To the right there's the staircase that the teenage girl went up and lining the left wall there are doors, obviously leading to rooms like the living room.

A woman in her forties, obviously hearing the front door, steps out of the closest room which I think is some sort of nursery for the younger children (judging by the cries and wails coming from in there).

"Ah, Miss Olympia!" she says, smiling when she sees my sister. They shake hands, exchanging greetings, and the woman's eyes fall on me. "And you must be Poseidon Olympia. Lovely to meet you. My dear, you _do_ look like Percy, don't you? It's a actually little frightening..."

I shrug neutrally, unable to talk through the lump in my throat, and shake her hand too. _Does Percy really look exactly like me? _I want to ask, but I can't bring myself to it.

"How is Percy?" Hestia asks.

"He's been skittish all week," the woman, who I assume is Miss Martha, says. "Very nervous and even more fidgety than usual. He's been busying himself with the younger children – he's always been very good with them, especially little Gracie,"

"Like his father then," Hestia says, glancing at me. "Working overtime at the aquarium,"

"It's not my fault it's the summer holidays and there are loads of visitors," I grumble, trying my hardest not to sound moody. My sister and the carer just look at me in amusement, however.

"Percy's in there," Miss Martha says, motioning to the second doorway, which was closed. "Whenever you're ready, you can go in there and see him. I'll just be in here if there are any issues," Miss Martha motions to the doorway she'd come out of and goes back in.

I cringe at the doorway. Maybe I shouldn't have had breakfast this morning. Now it's churning and threatening to make an appearance all over the table.

"Relax," Hestia soothes, placing a hand on my arm. "He's a lovely boy, Poseidon,"

"Easy for you to say," I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation and stress. "This isn't _your _son that you're meeting,"

"Are you ready or not?"

I expected myself to hesitate, but I nodded.

Hestia leads the way and I have to force myself to un-stick my feet and follow her to the door. Hestia turns the handle and steps inside.

The room is horribly empty. All that's in here is a circular table with a couple of mismatched chairs set out around it. Sat on one of the chairs is a young boy.

Percy. My son.

As the door opens, his head snaps up. Green eyes land on Hestia, and then they move on to me. They widen and I feel my breath hitch.

It's like looking into a mirror twenty years ago. Percy looks exactly like he did in the photo, if a little bit taller and _definitely_ more nervous, rather than sheepish. Before we entered he seemed to be drawing on a scrap of paper with an old biro, but he threw both away to the side. He looks panicked and I definitely relate. I'm pretty sure that my stomach hasn't followed me in here.

"Hello, Percy," Hestia smiles. "How are you?"

Percy makes a small, quiet noise through his throat. He blushes and clears it hastily. "Fine," he replies shortly, tearing his gaze away from me. "Thanks,"

"Good," my sister nods. She glances at me. "This is Poseidon, Percy, my little brother-,"

"I'm not little," I cut in automatically. I almost regret it, but then a small smile tugs at Percy's lips which he quickly tries to hide.

"You act it," Hestia quips, rolling her eyes. I glare at her lightly. "Anyway, this is my brother, Poseidon. Your father, Percy,"

Percy just nods. I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly, realising that I have to say something. "Hi," I say lamely, raising my hand in a feeble wave. I resist the urge to face-palm. Gosh, I sound like an idiot...

"Hi," my son replies. It feels weird saying that – my son.

"I think I'll leave you two alone," Hestia says, smiling at us both.

My head whips towards her, and so does Percy's. "What?" I exclaim.

"Excuse me?" Percy gapes.

"Are you serious?!"

But Hestia is already gone, the door closing behind her. I turn back to Percy and he's slowly closing his mouth. He catches my gaze and blushes.

"Um..." he mutters. "Do you want to sit down?"

I don't know what else to do or say so I sit in the chair opposite him. Percy looks down and messes with his fingernails like it's a nervous habit. Maybe I should make a list about the things we have in common, because awkwardness definitely seems to be one of them, along with some other things.

I realise that Percy won't be doing the speaking. I try not to sigh as I work up the courage to say something not completely dumb.

"So..." I say. "Uh...what's it like living here?"

_Alright_, I think in approval. _That wasn't so bad. At least you didn't sound as dumb as a pufferfish this time._

Percy shrugs, not looking up. "Alright," he says. "A majority of the kids here are okay. Others are just jerks,"

I nod. Damn it, now I'm out of questions.

"What about you?" Percy asks. I nearly sigh in relief that we didn't fall silent. That would have been _physically_ painful. "I mean, do you have a job or anything? Or are you unemployed? Which is totally fine, by the way..."

"I have a job," I nod, unable to stop feeling eager about my beloved aquarium. "I own an aquarium not too far away from here,"

"An aquarium?" Percy repeats, grinning.

I grin back. "Yeah. You like fish?"

"Anything sea-related, yeah. You actually _own_ it?"

"Uh huh,"

"You don't look very old,"

"I'm twenty-five,"

"Oh. Most twenty-five year olds these days are usually out partying..."

Oh, thank god, something to talk about. I tell Percy a few things about the aquarium, answering his questions, and ask questions of my own. Another thing we have in common – we both love the sea. I mentally note it down in my head as a good ice breaker.

I notice that Percy is a little uncomfortable. Not entirely – he is willing to talk. But he doesn't seem to want to make eye contact or let his emotions show too much. Which is weird. Children shouldn't be like that, right?

I remember what Hestia told me. Percy was forced to grow up way before his time. I almost feel angry at Sally for forcing him through that, but I know that she had no choice. Well, she could have called me...

No. That doesn't matter now.

"Would you...like to come see my room?" Percy asks sheepishly after twenty minutes of discussing my aquarium and our favourite sea life.

"Yeah, sure," I reply, trying to act casual about it.

Percy leads the way out of the 'family room' as he calls it. Up the stairs, and up another set, and another. His bedroom is in the loft. We enter and I realise that it's a lot colder up here than the rest of the house. There are three beds, each with a set of drawers for clothes and belongings next to it, but that's about it (along with a skylight in the ceiling).

"This bed's mine," Percy says, sitting on the neatest of the three beds. It looks to me as though it's not been slept in for a while. It's also right next to the skylight, giving Percy the perfect view of the sky. Right now, it's a neutral powder blue. Kinda like Percy and I at the moment.

"Kinda cold up here, isn't it?" I comment. I can't imagine what it's like at night – I'd probably freeze to death if I had to sleep in here. At least, when I actually did go to sleep. I focus on my work so much, I often forget sleep.

Percy shrugs. "The cold doesn't really bother me," he says. "At least not all the time. I don't sleep often anyway,"

I frown. "Why not?"

"I'm always thinking too much,"

"Huh," I mutter.

Percy looks worried. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing," I reply. "It's just I don't sleep often too. But because I have work to do a lot of the time,"

"Really?" Percy looks relieved.

I nod. "Yeah. Usually I just sit outside and watch the moon with my laptop,"

"Wow..." Percy mutters. I try and hide a smile which curls on to my face. Clearly, Percy does exactly the same thing. Okay, so I thought we're pretty alike. Maybe I was wrong – we are _very_ much alike.

I spot a couple of drawings tacked to the slanted ceiling/wall. They looked like just regular scenes – city skylines, mountain ranges, beaches, etc – but they're all surprisingly detailed and well drawn. I look at them curiously. "Did you draw these?"

Percy looks up from the pillow case he was straightening out nervously. "Yeah," he says sheepishly. "But they're not very good-,"

"Not very good?" I repeat. "Percy, these are great,"

Blushing, Percy mumbles a 'thank you'. We leave the bedroom and head back down to the family room. Hestia joins us and gets to know Percy a little bit herself. He seems to relax more, which is nice. I can feel myself relaxing, too.

But Percy still seems closed off. I don't know how I was expecting him to act like, but like this definitely isn't it. It's just...if he was a teenager, I'd have expected this sort of hesitation and behavious from him. But a child who's just nine years old...no. It doesn't feel right.

Hestia and I stay for over an hour before leaving. We arrange to visit again tomorrow and I offer to take Percy to my aquarium. Despite trying to hide it, Percy's clearly eager about it. He thanks us for coming before hurrying off to his cold bedroom.

"That went well," Hestia sighs as we drive away. "Don't you think?"

I nod. "I think so, yeah..."

"What did you two talk about?"

"Percy showed me his room," I say. "He likes to draw. And he doesn't sleep, like me. He prefers to sit and watch the moon all night,"

Hestia coos. "You two are so alike," she gushes, grinning madly. "It's really cute. And he's the absolute image of you when you were his age, too,"

I try and hide my smile, turning my head away from her.

"However, I think that there's something he's hiding," Hestia muses.

I face to her, suddenly frowning. "What do you mean?" I ask.

"I'm a social worker, Poseidon. I work with children and families for a living," Hestia says. "Percy reminds me of a lot of children I've worked with in the past. He's withdrawn, closed off, though he tries to act calm and friendly. He's hiding something, too. Probably something to do with his past or his mother,"

"Like what?"

Hestia shrugs. "I don't know. You'll just have to wait until Percy tells you himself,"

The idea of that seems a little nerve-wracking, but at the same time exciting. A chance to get to know my son more? Count me in.

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><p><strong>What do you think? Good, bad? I think it's alright, really, however it is a little shorter than the previous two chapters. This is the last chapter that I've written in Poseidon's POV - every following chapter is all from Percy's eyes. I might add in some extra chapters between the ones I've already written that are from Poseidon's POV, or edit a chapter I already have if you guys want that. It's all up to you, really. I personally find it easier to write from Percy's POV.<strong>

**Another big thank you to those who reviewed, followed and added to favourites. To respond to one reviewer: I haven't read the Heroes Of Olympus series yet with all the Roman counterparts, so no I will not be including them. However the gods and some of the other Demigods will be introduced in due time :)**

**Hope you guys have a nice day and I'll see you...let's say, Monday. Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I know - I said in the last chapter that I'd update on Monday, but I thought that's a little mean because I updated so early on a Saturday morning, it was still practically Friday. So here I am, at my nan's, wearing my grandad's onesie, waiting for Sunday dinner when I really should be getting a shower and going out. This is how I spend my weekends, people.**

**Thank you to those who responded to the last chapter! You're all awesome! I'm so glad that everyone enjoys the story so far. If anyone has any suggestions for future chapters, I'm all ears (well, eyes...). So far, the story finishes at Chapter 33 but I'm hoping to extend it. I've got some ideas to add into chapters, but you'll have to wait to find out what they are.**

**That's all for now. As usual, be wary of swear words and such. Enjoy :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON**

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><p><strong><span>Percy's POV<span> **

Poseidon was...well, he was nice. He was a bit quiet and awkward at first, like me, but once the conversation got going he was cool. I still can't believe he _owns_ an aquarium at his age. Gracie's dad was twenty six when he died, and a lot of the time he'd just hang out with his friends and go partying every weekend with other young people. But it's a good job, none the less. What I wouldn't do to just spend my day surrounded by gorgeous sea creatures. I'm still buzzing with excitement nearly twenty four hours later because Poseidon is actually taking me to go see it.

It's kind of bad that I'm already so eager to see Poseidon. I shouldn't. All that will happen is he'll forget about me – he'll get bored and leave me. Hugh told me so. Every parent gets bored eventually. Just like mom. That's why she allowed herself to get thrown in jail and killed herself while she was in there.

Poseidon picks me up at noon. Hestia isn't with him, but there's enough to talk about for the car ride not to be weird. Poseidon tells me more about the aquarium – the layout of the place and stuff like that. Despite that, when we arrive, I'm still shocked.

"It's big," I comment, pursing my lips to stop myself from saying more.

"I know," Poseidon says, obviously holding back a smile. "C'mon, we'll go through the back. Saves us having to go through the lobby of tourists,"

There's a door at the back of the aquarium next to the parking lot that Poseidon opens with a swipe of the card on his car keys. Poseidon leads me through the space at the back until we come to an open terrace. There are a couple of tanks built into the floor, each filled with different creatures.

"Whoa," I breathe, staring at them.

"C'mon," Poseidon urges, smiling at the look on my face. He places a hand on my shoulder and I flinch away instinctively, taking a long step away. Poseidon stares at me for a second, a little shocked at my reaction, his hand slowly lowering to his side. I look away awkwardly and follow him to one of the tanks.

"Nereid," Poseidon says to a young woman who is leaning over a tank, tending to the creature inside it. She looks up and smiles.

"Hi, Poseidon, I didn't think you'd be coming in today," the woman, Nereid, says. She looks at me. "Oh, who's this?"

"This is Percy," Poseidon says. "My, uh, my son,"

Nereid blinks. I wave sheepishly. "Hi,"

"Oh, hello," Nereid replies. "Well, uh...you certainly do look like each other..."

Poseidon smiles. "So I've been told. How's Glimmer?"

Nereid climbs out of the pool and I catch a glimpse of the animal inside – a chubby sea lion baby. I bite my lip to stop myself from cooing.

"She's alright," Nereid says. "A little bored, though. I bet she can't wait to get back out into the ocean,"

Poseidon looks at me. "Would you like to meet her, Percy?"

My eyes brighten. "Can I?"

"Yeah, of course. Come here,"

Poseidon kneels at the edge of the pool and motions for me to kneel too. He reaches into the water and Glimmer the baby sea lion swims up to nuzzle into his hand. I glance at Poseidon nervously as I reach towards the water. He nods encouragingly and takes his hand out, allowing Glimmer's attention to focus on me. Her soft, rubbery skin prods my hand and I let out a little laugh.

"She's fat," I say fondly, stroking Glimmer's head.

"Blubber," Poseidon says and from the corner of my eye I see him smiling. I laugh again at the stupid name. "It should keep her warm during the winter,"

"Why's she here?" I ask.

"She was found on the coast of California, abandoned by her mother," Poseidon exclaims. "Our aquarium is world renowned for our treatment to wounded animals. Glimmer should probably be with us until late August, early September, then she'll be strong enough to live in the wild on her own,"

I have to force myself from frowning. She has to leave...?

"Would you like to feed her?" Poseidon offers.

"Feed her?" I repeat, looking up at my dad. It feels weird saying that, but at the same time...well, it's stupid.

"Yeah. Usually you'd need a wet suit, but you should be fine in just your shorts. It's a warm day. I'll go get the milk,"

Poseidon stands and walks away. I take off my shoes and socks and shirt, throw them on to nearby bench, and sit at the edge of the tank. Poseidon returns a few seconds later, holding a bottle in his hand. "Get in," he says. I slide into the tank slowly, the water being shallow enough for me to sit down with my legs outstretched and have the water cover my shoulders. Which is good. The last thing I want is for Poseidon to be able to see the faint white scars on my back.

"Here," Poseidon hands me the warm bottle. "Now..."

He talks me through how to milk Glimmer. I notice that he's reluctant to touch me, especially after earlier when I flinched away as though I'd been electrocuted. I resist the urge to sigh. See? I always mess up...

It takes about ten minutes for Glimmer to down the whole bottle of milk. Poseidon congratulates me for apparently being a natural at it. I don't know why. Why would he praise me? After feeding Glimmer Poseidon says that he has to do some work with the other animals as well as some paperwork. I decide to stay in the tank with Glimmer, so I'm out of his hair.

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't notice Poseidon purposefully working around the tanks, always keeping me in sight.

Why would he do that?

Time flies. I swear only an hour had passed when Poseidon finally tells me to start drying off, but it happened to be 6pm. I've been in the tank for nearly six hours playing with Glimmer. No wonder my fingers are wrinkly.

"I'm still not very dry," I say as I throw on my shirt hastily after lying on the floor for a while, allowing the sun to partially dry up my wet shorts.

"It'll do, don't worry," Poseidon replies.

We get into the car and star driving away.

"Hey, before you go back to the home, would you like to get something to eat?" Poseidon asks. Can I hear nervousness in his voice? "There are some pretty nice restaurants and cafes around here. But if not I can just take you home,"

I stare at him. He wants to go to a restaurant. With me.

I open my mouth so say 'sure' when I remember something kinda important about buying food. "I don't have any money," I say, stomach sinking.

Poseidon gives me a sideways look. "Of course not. I'm paying,"

I blink. "You're paying?" I repeat dumbly. "For me?"

"Obviously. You really think that I'd take you for something to eat and make you pay for yourself?" he asks, looking confused.

I look down to hide my blush. _Damn it, Jackson, why are you always so stupid?_ "Sure, it's okay. As long as you don't mind,"

"Of course I don't. I've got plenty of money, Percy. More than I know what to do with, in fact..."

The restaurant that we arrive isn't big or fancy, as I feared it might be. Its average sized and casual and it seems to be a seafood place. Trust Poseidon to come here. It's called the Coral Restaurant.

"You come here often?" I work up the courage to ask as Poseidon leads the way to one of the tables.

"Yep. This place is my favourite," he replies, sitting down at a table. I slide into the booth opposite him. Yep, I can tell he's been here before. This is the best seat in the house. "I come here often with Hestia when she gets back from business trips – being a world-class social worker she travels a lot,"

"Do you travel?" I inquire. "I mean, you own an aquarium..."

"Every couple of weeks I go on conferences and stuff like that around the world, yes," Poseidon says. He sighs. "And they're _always_ boring,"

I smile shyly.

The waiter comes over and gives us both menus. I open it and instantly become puzzled as my Dyslexia shoots into action to fuck up my life. The words do cartwheels, swap places and twirl tauntingly in my face. I huff and narrow my eyes at the stupid thing.

"You okay?" Poseidon asks, looking up from his own menu.

"Uh, yeah," I say, also looking up. "Why?"

"Did your menu kill a kitten or something? Glare any harder and it'll disintegrate,"

I blush for, like, the fifteenth time that day. "It's stupid," I mutter under my breath, resting my cheek on my fist as I try with everything I have to just _read _the words.

"Oh, right..." Poseidon mutters to himself. "Dyslexia..."

My cheeks flare up again. Damn it, I need to learn a way to prevent that.

"Uh, what's your favourite food?" Poseidon asks.

I shrug. "I don't really know," I say. "Fish fingers, I guess," Oh, it would be awesome if they had them on the menu...

"They do fish fingers and chips," Poseidon says, reading the menu again. I nod when he glances at me. "Okay – drink?"

I blush (for the seventeenth time...). "Uh, what do they have?"

"Fanta, coke, water, lemonade..."

"Coke, please,"

Poseidon nods and waves the waiter over. He gives him our order and he bustles away in a rush. I look around the room awkwardly as we fall into silence, waiting for the conversation to start.

"So, what school do you go?"

"I used to go Bankfield Elementary," I say, in my head thinking of all the other schools that were also on that list. "But, uh, they asked me not to go back,"

Rather than looking angry or embarrassed or ashamed, Poseidon looks curious. "Why's that?"

"Trouble on a field trip," I mutter. "We were visiting a museum and I kinda broke a fossil...or two..."

Poseidon stares at me, eyebrow arched as though he could tell I wasn't telling the whole truth.

I sigh, my facade crumbling. "Alright, fine. I kinda knocked over the bones of a dinosaur and shattered them all. But it was an accident, I swear,"

He continues to stare at me. I can't tell what he's thinking and duck my head down again. He's ashamed, isn't he? He's wondering how he has such a pathetic offspring. A few seconds later, I hear chuckling.

"I think you're worse than me..." Poseidon mutters. I look up and he was rubbing his forehead, a smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"I was never expelled, but my school loathed me for all the trouble I caused on school trips..."

Poseidon tells me stories about his mishaps on field trips during his time in school until the food arrives. The fish fingers here are amazing. So much better than the thirty-cents ones the children's home buys. And the chips seem to be home made too! Poseidon tells me that this is a very simple restaurant, but geez, this food is like ten times better than any I've ever had.

When we're finished with our main courses, Poseidon offers to buy some desert. Looking at the chocolate cake another kid's eating a few tables away, I can't resist. I get the biggest slice of warm chocolate cake and cream I've ever seen in my life and Poseidon gets an equally large banana split.

Both were gone in a matter of minutes.

"You have chocolate around your face," Poseidon says in amusement as we leave the Buoy, heading to the car. He hands me a napkin to wipe away the left over smears.

"You've got ice cream on your shirt," I retort, smirking. Poseidon blushes as he quickly wipes it away, however it leaves a mark. We climb into the car and drive back to the children's home. By the time we arrive, it's nearly nine o'clock. So we' were been in the restaurant for nearly three hours. Huh, it didn't feel like it.

"Tomorrow's Monday, right?" Poseidon asks as we pull up. I nod. "I've got to be in work pretty early tomorrow. If you want to come back to the aquarium however I can come and pick you up during my lunch break,"

I sit up straighter, trying my hardest not to get excited. "Really?"

"Yeah. Glimmer's usually very bored during the day – today she actually seemed entertained for one. I didn't really get to show you around properly, either – some baby seahorses have just hatched if you want to see them tomorrow,"

"Sure," I nod, trying to fight a grin off my face.

Poseidon's face lights up. "Good. Is noon a good time to pick you up?"

"Yeah, noon's good,"

"Okay. Bring some swimming shorts too, or a wetsuit if you have one. The tanks aren't always completely hygienic,"

I nod and climb out of the car. "Okay. Thanks, Poseidon. I, uh...I had a pretty good time today," I say.

"Me too," he smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight,"

"'Night," and with that I close the door, hurrying inside. I turn before I go in to wave at Poseidon, who flashes the lights on his car in return and disappears.

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><p><strong>Mehh. I'm not too sure. What do you guys think about the relationship between Percy and Poseidon? I'm a little unsure, but I've tried my hardest to make it realistic. Hope you guys agree.<strong>

**Before I finish it here, I'd like to ask - where do all you reviewers come from around the world? I come from north-west England, near Liverpool. No, I'm not a scouser. I do use a lot of slang though, which you might notice in Percy's thoughts. I've always wondered what it would be like to go to America and start speaking proper scouse to people - it's pretty easy. Just add phlegm to every sentence and say 'lad' a lot.  
><strong>

**Okay, that was so random and off topic. I've just always been curious, plus I'd like to know how far my 'audience' goes across the world. According to my traffic stats, most of my viewers are from America, which is proper cool.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter; drop a review, add to favourites, whatever. Helpful criticism is welcome, so long as you're polite about it. Bye! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! It's me, I'm back. And with chapter 5! So, last chapter, we exceeded 20 reviews and over 1000 views! That's awesome! Thanks a lot to everyone who's done whatever (reviewed, followed, added to favourites) - as usual, it's totally appreciated.**

**In the last chapter I asked where all you guys come from. So, we have people from Canada, Alaska and southern USA. Dang, you guys live in such interesting places. When I'm through with college I'm going to take a year off before I go to Uni to train as a midwife and me and my best friends are going to tour America. Britain is _boring_** **as _shit_ unless you're at Alton Towers****.**

**Btw, _italics_ indicate Percy's thoughts. Just throwing that out there. Enjoy chapter 5!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON.**

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><p>The next five days feel routine – Poseidon picks me up at noon, during his lunch break, and takes me to the aquarium. I spend about six hours there, interacting with all the animals, not just Glimmer, and then Poseidon buys us both some food at the Coral Restaurant before taking me back the children's home. It's a comfortable routine, too. By Wednesday we're not as awkward around each other anymore and conversation comes easier.<p>

Our routine doesn't change until Friday, when Poseidon invites me to his house for dinner instead.

"Hestia's been telling me off all week," he says. "Apparently restaurant food isn't a proper meal,"

"Of course it is!" I say. Restaurant food is the best food I've ever had!

"That's exactly what I said, but Hestia's got selective hearing. Anyway, she said that she'll cook dinner for us both,"

I think for a second. I've only met Hestia twice, and she is family...

"Alright. Sure,"

A smile appears on Poseidon's face and he sends me away to dry off after lounging with Glimmer again in the pool.

I've gotten a little more used to being around Poseidon over the week, too. I'm not as uncomfortable and the thought of him being my _father _is getting easier to comprehend. I'd be a bare-faced liar if I said that I couldn't see similarities between us. Nereid is constantly saying how freaky it is.

I'm still wary, however. Life lessons that Hugh had bore into my head are still painfully fresh. _Don't let anyone get close to you. They'll just betray you – leave you. You're not worth anyone's attention. No one will ever love you. Except me..._

I try to shut those thoughts out, shuddering. So far, Poseidon hasn't show any indication that he doesn't like me. I guess that has to be a good sign, right?

At six, we leave the aquarium and Poseidon drives me to his house. It's on the outskirts of the city, but still pretty close to the shops and the aquarium and stuff, and it's also pretty big. Six bedrooms, at least, and a massive back garden.

"This is huge," I comment, climbing out of the car and looking up at the house. Could a man really live in a place this big without any company?

"My brother, Zeus's house is bigger," Poseidon replies. "He has a mansion – literally, there are thirty bedrooms,"

I gawk, imagining that, and follow Poseidon through the front door.

Hestia is already here – that much is clear, judging by the extra car in the driveway and a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. I perk and sniff the air.

"Smells good, Hestia," Poseidon calls, taking off his coat and hanging it up. I slip off my trainers, a little afraid of causing a mess, and trail after him sheepishly through a spacious living room with a TV I will literally die to have, and into the pristine kitchen.

"I should hope so," Hestia replies, stood at the shining stove stirring a pan of what smells like chicken korma. She smiles at me. "Hello, Percy,"

"Hi, Hestia," I smile, sniffing the air again. _My godddd it smells good_. "What are you making?"

"Chicken korma," she says, confirming my suspicions. "I hope you like it,"

"I have no doubt we will," Poseidon says. I nod in agreement.

"Well, it's almost done. Be dears, will you, and get out some plates for me?"

I grab some cleaned cutlery from the draining board next to the sink whilst Poseidon bends down and grabs three plates from one of the cupboard. We place both sets of items on the counter and Hestia begins to serve out the food.

I'm just stood around awkwardly, waiting for her to finish, when I spot something in the garden.

"You have a pool?" I exclaim, back-peddling to look at it clearly. It's actually pretty large for a backyard pool and it's covered with a big blue tent-thing. Eerie lights have built into the floor around it, lighting up the decking and the garde. _Seriously, how freaking rich is this guy?_

Poseidon back-peddles in a similar way and stands at my side. "Yup," he says. "That's where I spend most of my time – apart from work, of course. I can hold my breath underwater for five minutes,"

I smirk. "Seven,"

"Really?"

"Yup,"

Poseidon smirks back. "Looks like we'll be testing that,"

"Boys," Hestia cuts in before I can retort. "Food's ready. Save your bickering for later,"

"Yes, sister," Poseidon says, still smirking as he pecks her cheek, grabs his plate of food and heads into the dining room to sit down. I tense a little when Hestia ruffles my hair as I walk past her with my own plate, but not as much as I would have a week ago. Over the week I've been forcing myself to get used to touch – I don't think I left a very good impression on Poseidon when I jumped away from him on Monday. I just can't stop myself, sometimes.

Hestia strikes up conversation as we eat. She tells me stories from her and Poseidon's childhoods, what her work is like, more stories from their childhood...

"Remember the time you put a lobster Zeus's room when he had Hera over for the first time as his official girlfriend?" she asks innocently once we'd all finished eating, but were still sat at the dining room table.

"I was introducing him to my new pet," Poseidon says. "He'd been ignoring poor Sebastian for weeks and that was the only way I could get his attention. It's not my fault Hera just-so-happened to be terrified of him,"

I hide a snort of laughter as he winks at me.

Hestia rolls her eyes. "Oh, yes, I'm sure you never meant for them to split up either..."

"Hey, like I said; I had no idea Hera was terrified of cute little lobsters. And they're married now, aren't they?"

"They broke up for seven months, Poseidon, and every time they tried to date again you'd do something that would split them up...it only stopped when you went to college..."

They continue bickering about all the trouble Poseidon caused when they were young. Eventually, I asked a question that had been playing on my mind all week, "What's your family like?"

Poseidon and Hestia pause, turning to look at me. "What do you mean?" Poseidon asks.

I try not to blush. "Your family – like Zeus and Hades. You always talk about them, but I don't really know much,"

This time Poseidon and Hestia exchange a look, as though they're wary of telling me. A second later, Hestia nods.

"Our family is...very dysfunctional," Poseidon says slowly, as though trying to pick his words carefully. "When we see each other, which is rare, we don't exactly get along,"

I frown. "You two do," I point out.

"I'm afraid that I'm the only one who truly makes an effort to contact all of my family regularly," Hestia sighs. "Our mother died a few years ago, just after Poseidon's graduation. Our father, Kronos, is...well..."

"An evil bastard," Poseidon says scathingly.

"Poseidon!" Hestia scolds. "Language!"

"He is!" he protests. "He was an utter control freak when we were young. It's only thanks to me, Zeus and Hades that we're all not still living with him with all of his three-hundred-and-fifty rules weighing down our lives,"

I shift uncomfortably. "Uh..."

"Sorry," Poseidon huffs, running a hand through his hair. I guess that's been playing on his mind, huh?"My dad just really...frustrates me sometimes. He's the man who kept your mother and I apart by shipping me off to college,"

"I don't think I like him," I say, wrinkling my nose instantly.

Hestia shakes her head. "No one ever has. Except maybe our mother, but she was never a very...ah, clear-sighted person, if you know what I mean. She wasn't very good at seeing people for who they are,"

"Which was why Zeus was her favourite," Poseidon mutters.

Hestia shoots him another reprimanding look. "Zeus is the oldest child – he owns an airline company and has five kids," she says. "Our sister, Demeter, is the owner of some grain company. She's always been obsessed with farming and stuff and goes on about it all the time...,"

"She has a sort-of adopted daughter," Poseidon says. "Persephone. Demeter found her in one of her grain farms looking for food few years ago and took her in. Persephone is occasionally married to my older brother, Hades, who's the third child, however I thinks he only married him to be apart of the family officially,"

"What do you mean occasionally?" I ask.

"They argue a lot. Persephone doesn't like Nico's son, who's from another mother, and Demeter hates Hades for reasons we don't really know. For half of the year Persephone and Hades are usually together and then the other half they're not. It's weird,"

"I'm not too sure what Hades does," Hestia muses, changing the subject. "He's very secretive and distant. He has a son, Nico, and used to have a daughter, Bianca. Nico is about six now, I believe. Bianca would be your age however she...died a few years ago. Hades never speaks of it,"

"Why not?"

The adults exchange looks. "She wwas murdered," Poseidon replies eventually. "Bianca, Nico and their mother Maria were kidnapped. Someone murdered them. We barely found Nico in time,"

"That's terrible," I say, a little...well, hurt. I mean, this Bianca girl was my cousin. My family in blood.

Poseidon nods, looking solemn. "I know. Bianca and Maria were really lovely, too. Nico was unbelievably distraught, as you can imagine. The experience has left him innocent as ever but if you meet him, don't be alarmed when he starts talking about ghosts and death," he says. I blink, but he just continues, "Anyway, Hestia is the fourth child. She's a social worker, as you know. And then there's me, the youngest, who you know all about anyway,"

"What about Zeus's kids? You said he had five,"

"Well, there's Hephaestus, who's like an old fashioned blacksmith and mechanic," Hestia says, counting off on her fingers. "Dionysus – he's just turned eighteen and is part-owner of some nightclub. Hermes created and now owns a social media site and he's only seventeen,"

Wait, Hermes Olympia? Yeah, I recognise that name. He created and now owns some big social media site and he's world-famous, as you can imagine. He's my cousin? Huh, that's cool.

"Apollo and Artemis are sixteen and twins, though I don't think that they're Hera's children," Hestia says, looking thoughtful. "Zeus can be rather unfaithful. Then there's Ares, who's fourteen and will be starting his eleventh school in September. And finally there's Thalia. She's twelve and she's definitely not Hera's. Thalia's mom died a few years ago so Zeus got full rights to her – he's very protective of her, too,"

"Isn't Hephaestus getting married soon?" Poseidon asks, tapping his chin. "I think I read an invite or something a few weeks ago,"

Hestia glares at him. "Yes, he's getting married to Aphrodite. Remember her?"

"Uh, no?"

"They visited your aquarium together, like, three months ago, Poseidon,"

Poseidon just looks confused. He turns to me, "Anyway, that's our family. No one really gets on. Hera's always trying to get us to attend family gatherings and stuff but I usually just ignore the invites..."

"Which is rude," Hestia adds.

"I would have thought having a big family would be nice," I say.

"So would I," Poseidon shrugs. "Except our father made our childhoods difficult and once we all entered adulthood we tried to make new lives for ourselves...do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," I nod sadly. I've tried _many_ times to try and make a new life for myself. Unfortunately, it's never worked out like it seems to have for Poseidon.

We clean up our dishes and head into the living room with the TV. I settle on the sofa near Poseidon, and Hestia on an armchair. Again, we talk. The conversation is focused on me this time. Hestia asks me about school and I make sure not to tell her about all the bad things, worried that she would turn away in disgust. But Hestia just laughs and starts describing all the fights and trouble Poseidon got into when he was a schoolboy. Some of them I've already heard, but I listen to them with interest anyway.

Eventually, I felt my eyelids getting heavy.

"Tired?" Poseidon asks, checking his watch. "Good lord, it's nearly midnight,"

"I'm not tired," I mutter, rubbing my eyes. "I never get tired, remember?"

"You look it," Hestia says, standing. "I've got to go, Poseidon, I think I've been in your hair far too long, now,"

"Of course not, sister," Poseidon says, standing up to give her a hug. "You're welcome around any time,"

Hestia smiles and looks at me. I fight to keep my eyes open. What? This is really weird. Why am I suddenly extremely tired? "It was lovely to see you again, Percy," she says, ruffling my hair. I'm too sleepy to move. "I hope we'll see each other again, correct?"

I nod. "Yeah, of course,"

She smiles again, says her last goodbyes, and leaves the house. I yawn, sitting up straight on the sofa.

"I'm never this tired," I say, confused. "Why am I suddenly so tired?"

"I'm not sure," Poseidon replies, also yawning and sitting back down on the sofa. "Weird..."

I nod in agreement, resting my head again the arm of the chair, closing my eyes for just a second... "Miss Martha's text me," Poseidon says after a couple of seconds.

"What'd she say?" I ask, my voice slightly slurred.

"She said that if you're going to sleep over, give her more warning next time,"

I raise my head, blinking open my eyes. "Huh? Sleep?"

Poseidon shrugs. "It is a bit late to be driving," he says. "Plus, I'm exhausted. You're welcome to stay the night here, if you wish. I have spare bedrooms,"

I want to protest, but my eyes seemed to want to close more. I manage a tired nod and Poseidon chuckles. "C'mon, then," he says, coaxing me off the sofa. "Upstairs,"

I stumble clumsily through the house, up the stairs and into the first bedroom I come to. I drop on to the bed like a ragdoll, my limbs heavy like weights.

"My room's next door if you need me," Poseidon says after another big yawn. "And there's a bathroom across from you,"

"M'kay," I mutter, burying my face into a pillow, curling into it. I worm myself under the covers, hardly registering the fact that Poseidon is helping me because my movements are so sluggish. "Why am I so tired?" I ask again.

"Just sleep while you can," says Poseidon, his footsteps heading towards the door. "Goodnight, Percy,"

"G'night, Poseidon..."

The light flicks off, but I'm already asleep.

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><p><strong>S'cute. You have no idea how many times I have proof-read this chapter. My English teacher would be so proud - if only I put this much effort into my actual school work. Speaking of which, I should be doing homework. Meh.<strong>

**Anyway, two things I wanna ask you guys:**

**1) What hurts more? Being punched in the jaw or the nose? I'm not being a weirdo or anything it's just something that I need to know for chapter 6/7 and the rest of the entire damn story. I think the jaw, but I'm not sure.**

**2) Has anyone got any suggestions for the names of Zeus's airline company and Hermes's social media site? I'm terrible when it comes to things like naming businesses. Maybe I shouldn't be competing in Young Enterprise. If there are any smarty-pants out there who would be awesome enough to drop a review with a cool suggestion, that would be greatly appreciated.**

**That's all for now! Chapter 6 will be out on Thursday, and I have good news - I've started writing the sequel! Yup, already. And we're not even halfway through this story. So if you're a supporter, you're guaranteed that this story _will_ be complete and followed on. I plan to have a couple of stories, actually. But I just need some good, long plots to fill them all in. I have a plot for the sequel, however it's a little on the weak side. I'm sure that some ideas will spring to mind though. Just like this story.**

**That' all for now! Hope you guys enjoyed. Leave a review, if you wish. Thanks again to all the follows and favourites. I'll see you Thursday!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, everyone, it's me - the weird English girl with confusing slang, and with me I bring the promised chapter 6!**

**Okay, so, how are you all doing? Good? Me, personally, I'm tired. Going to sleep at 11pm and being in school for 8:30am is so unhealthy. Does anyone else think that school should start at 10am and finish at 4pm? I would operate _so_ much better if that was the case. Like, I'll have all A*s in my GCSE's. Because I'm so tired I spend my Maths, English, Spanish and History classes daydreaming about future chapters or drawing.**

**Enough blabbering, anyway. I'll save that for the end. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and added to favourites - oh, and a big thank you to all you awesome people who suggested names for Hermes's social media site and Zeus's airline company. A lot of your ideas were similar to the ones I had, and I've decided to call them _Caduceus _(thank god for autocorrect) and _Lightning Airways_. But thanks for all the other suggestions, anyway.**

**That's all for now - hope you enjoy! XD**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON**

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><p>I wake up the next morning, slightly disorientated, stretching my sore limbs and blinking in the bright, early morning light. It takes me a few seconds to register my surroundings and make sense of where I am.<p>

Poseidon's house, clearly. No way is my room at the children's home this large, spacious and fancy. I'm in one of the bedrooms upstairs, lying in bed, however still fully dressed. I think back to last night, frowning...

Oh, right. I was tired. _Tired. _Me. That's not happened in months. And I fell asleep for, apparently, the whole night. I climb out of bed quietly, wincing – note to self, jeans are _not_ suitable for sleeping in. I look out the window, trying to determine what time it is. Judging by the position of the sun, it can't be any later than 9am. I check the clock on the bedside table and sure enough my assumption is correct.

Making sure to be quiet, just in case Poseidon isn't awake yet, I head downstairs. The TV is still on after we forgot to turn it off last night. From the kitchen I can hear movement.

"Morning," I greet, running a hand through my messy hair which is even messier than usual, flashing Poseidon a small, shy smile.

Sat at the island, Poseidon shoots me a look, smirking at my zombie-like appearance. "Morning," he replies, taking a sip of his coffee. "Sleep well?"

I nod, sitting at the counter opposite him. "Better than I have in months," I say. "Mainly because it's the first time that I _have _slept in months,"

"Hmm," Poseidon mutters neutrally, as though he doesn't know how to reply to that. "Well, do you want any breakfast?"

"Sure," I reply. "I'll make it. Where's the cereal?"

Poseidon directs me to the appropriate cupboards and a minute later I'm munching on some cornflakes whilst he sips his coffee. It's half nine when we're both finished.

"So, you should probably be heading back to the children's home, right?" Poseidon says, taking my empty bowl from me and carrying it to the sink. "You can't stay in those clothes all day now that you've slept in them,"

I run a hand through my hair again, noting that it is a little greasy. "Good idea. Do you have to go to the aquarium today?"

"I don't have to, but I'd prefer to. Things always go wrong when I'm not there,"

"Can I come with you?"

"Sure. I'll drop you off at your home so you can get showered and pick you up again at about noon, as usual,"

I smile. "Thanks,"

Poseidon shoots me a smile over his shoulder as we quickly washes the dishes and I head into the living room to put on my shoes.

After that, going to Poseidon's house on a Friday and sleeping also becomes routine. After two weeks of it I start bringing a bag of clean clothes with me on Fridays, which seems to please Poseidon, though he tries to hide it. I'm opening up to him, and I'm still not sure whether or not it's a good thing.

Things are going well. That is, until today they were. I've known Poseidon for almost a month now. It's late August – school will be starting soon, and my birthday's coming up in mid October. Ten years old. _Finally_.

I wander through the eerie blue corridors of the aquarium, searching for my father. Nereus said that he last saw him about the deep sea area. Thank god the crowds aren't very big today. With school starting in a week parents don't have time for days out to the aquarium, busy trying to get school supplies. I stride down the corridors easily, glancing around at the tanks of sea-life. Even after a month, the creatures haven't ceased to amaze me.

Soon, a familiar face catches my eye. It isn't Poseidon's face, unfortunately.

Hugh.

I've mentioned Hugh a few times. He's one of my mom's past boyfriends/regular client. He seemed to think that he was some sort of father figure to me and told me all sorts of things. Hugh would make me do his dirty work, too, like smuggle illegal things around town and make deals for him. Not only that, but he also...well, that's a story for another time. All you need it know is that he's horrible. I met him when I was about three and I see him regularly – well, I would see him regularly, when mom was alive.

He's acting odd; skulking past the large tanks, not even glancing in their direction. I pause for a second before I keep walking, hoping to find Poseidon soon. What's _he_ doing here? I thought he was meant to be in jail for at least another six months after being caught dealing. I don't know, but Hugh being here is making me uncomfortable.

_Don't notice me, don't notice me_, I think frantically, quickening my pace. _Please don't notice me..._

I duck my head down, intent on getting out of here. Screw Poseidon, I'll go find Nereid or hang with Glimmer or something-

A hand clasps my shoulder.

"Hello, Percy,"

_Ah, fuck._

I cringe, turning slowly. "Hugh..." I say unsteadily. "Uh, what are you doing here? I thought that you were sentenced to sixteen months,"

"They let me out," Hugh replies, grinning to reveal yellowed teeth. I catch a whiff of alcohol and cigarettes on his breath. So he's been hitting the happy juice – _not_ a good sign. "Good behaviour and all. Hey, I heard about your mom. You okay?"

"I'm fine," I mutter. "Thanks,"

"Are you sure?" he asks.

I nod. "Absolutely," _Just let me go, I don't want to be near you..._

"Alright. If you ever need someone, you know I'm here for you Percy. You're like a son to me,"

_Yeah, coz every good father fucking hits their son..._

I stare at him, trying not to cringe again. I shrug his shoulder off me and take a few steps back. "Uh, sure...look, I need to find my, um, friend. We're, uh, going for dinner soon..."

"What's the rush?" Hugh's hand clasps around my wrist this time. Instantly, my heart races with panic. "Didn't you miss your old Daddy Hugh?"

"Daddy Hugh?" I repeat, scoffing with laughter. I regret it instantly.

"Something funny about that, Percy?" Hugh asks, his tone suddenly icy. "All that your mother ever wanted for you was to be happy. To have a father-figure there for you in your life. And you have one, Percy, you have me..."

"No, I don't," I say as I try and pull my wrist from his grip. "I've got my dad,"

Hugh blinks. "What?"

"My dad – my real, biological one. I know who he his. You've never been a dad to me. Let me go," I try harder now to pull away from him, getting desperate. Memories flood back. Times that I did the job wrong, times my mother spoke back, times I tried to tell him off for treating my mom badly and then being punished...

"What are you talking about?" Hugh growls, tugging me closer to his face. The alcohol on his breath makes my eyes water. A few visitors to the aquarium stop and glance at us, muttering.

"Let me go!" I repeat, louder. Hugh's grip tightens, gripping my wrist so tight I could feel it bruising already.

"C'mon," he grunts, tugging me along as he walked down the corridor. Presumably, he's going to take me somewhere that no one can see us.

I fight back. I claw at his hand around my wrist, gasping as I felt his grip tighten _further_. Geez, at this rate he's going to crack a bone...

We enter the toilets. Hugh scans the stalls, checking for anyone using them, before grabbing my shoulders and shoving me up against the wall.

"What did I tell you, Percy?" he breathes into my face. I gag, which only fuels his anger. "Repeat to me the lessons I taught you..."

I gulp back the lump in my throat, eyes watering in pain. Damn, if he squeezes my wrist any harder, a bone will certainly break. He's done it before. "N-No loves me..."

"And?"

"I'm a failure..."

"Good boy," Hugh smirks. "And what's my name?"

I open my mouth to say 'Daddy Hugh' or something horrible when the angry, ADHD side of me remembers that I'm being stupid listening to him. Since when have I let people push me around like this? "Dickhead," I reply with a glare.

Hugh's face contorts with rage, but before he can knee me in the gut, the bathroom door opens. I nearly slump with relief as I see Poseidon walking in, looking clearly worried and then suddenly angry at the sight he sees. The aquarium visitors must have directed him in here when they saw the disturbance.

"What are you doing?" he asks through gritted teeth, the question aimed at Hugh.

Hugh sneers, "What's it to you?"

"Let my son go," Poseidon orders, voice quivering with anger. I feel something warm in my chest when he says 'son'. "Now,"

"Son?" Hugh repeats, eyes suddenly lighting up. He looks amused. "So the kid wasn't lying...?"

"About your name, no," I mutter. He shoots me a dirty look and digs his nails into my wrists, drawing both blood and a small whimper of pain.

"Shut up," he snarls.

Poseidon shoots me a smirk, but it's short-lived. "I won't ask you again," he says. "My son. Let him go. And if you touch him again, you'll fucking regret it,"

He's drawn himself up to his full height. Even I'll admit – Poseidon can be pretty damn scary when he wants to be. And I do not want to be on the receiving end of his glare right now, like Hugh is.

Hugh releases my shoulders and I hold back a sigh of relief. Poseidon motions me over and I scurry over to his side, however he pushes me lightly so I'm stood more behind him than besides him.

"Remember what I said, little Percy," Hugh says, walking past towards the exit, looking somewhere between smug and frustrated. "Our life lessons,"

"Go screw yourself," Poseidon and I snarl at the same time, and part of me isn't even shocked. Hugh pauses for a second, taken back, before leaving with a shake of his head and a smirk in my direction.

Poseidon sighs. He turns and kneels in front of me, hands on my shoulders, eyes scanning for any sign of an injury. "Are you okay?" he asks. "Did he hurt you?"

"Just the wrist," I say, tugging up my sleeve to show him the bruised area. There are a few dots of blood from the cuts his nails created.

"Who was he?" Poseidon questions, taking my hand carefully to examine my wrist further.

"My mom's ex boyfriend," I say. "On-and-off boyfriend, actually. He was also a popular client. Because he's been around practically my whole like he's under the impression that he's my dad and was saying to me earlier that he's there for me and all that crap,"

Poseidon pauses. "Client?" he repeats carefully.

I roll my eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Poseidon. I know what my mom had to do for money. I was accidently sent into a Sex Ed assembly last year because one of the teachers thought I was older and I learnt it all,"

"Oh..." Poseidon sighs again. He stands, looking relieved. "Well, we should probably go and get some ice for your wrist,"

"Can't we just go home?" I ask, a little uncomfortable in the aquarium.

Poseidon's face falters. "Oh, if you want, I suppose..."

My eyes widen, realising that he thought I meant the children's home. "No, I meant your house! Your home...uh, please?" I blush when I realise that I called Poseidon's house my home, too.

His face floods with relief. "Yeah, of course we can. We still need to get some ice, though,"

I nod, glad that we're going home – I mean, back to Poseidon's place.

We step out of the bathroom and I catch sight of Hugh. He's taking his time leaving, and smirks at me. I instinctively press myself closer to Poseidon, who wraps an arm around my shoulder to direct me away, and probably to tell Hugh that I'm _his_ son. "C'mon," he mutters, glaring at Hugh, leading me to the staff kitchen. We grab some ice from the freezer, give Nereid a brief summary of what happened (she promises to inform security) and leave.

"Percy, what did Hugh mean when he said 'life lessons'?" Poseidon asks as we arrive home, entering the living room.

"He meant..." I mutter, sinking into the sofa. I bite my lip for a second, debating on whether or not to tell him. Eventually, I do. "He meant the things he 'taught' me, when he was dating mom. They were stupid things, really..."

"Tell me,"

I glance at Poseidon, sighing. "Nobody loves you, nobody ever will, you're pathetic, why do you bother with life..." I trail off, closing my eyes and bowing my head, burning in shame. "Uh, stuff like that,"

Poseidon's breath is baited. For many minutes, we're both silent.

"He's wrong," Poseidon says.

I look up. "Huh?"

"You're not pathetic," he says, staring me dead in the eye. "And your mom loved you, more than anything. Hugh's a douche. You shouldn't listen to what he says,"

"I know," I sigh. "I try not to. That's...that's the reason I'm really distant. Every time I feel happy here, I hear his voice,"

There was more silence. Until...

"Come here, Percy," Poseidon says, lifting his arm. I pause, taking a second to realise what he means, and then shuffle towards him. I duck my head under his arm obediently and nuzzle into his side. Poseidon's hand runs through my hair subconsciously, as though he doesn't even realise he's doing it.

"Nobody wants me..." I mutter without thinking.

"I do," Poseidon says. "I want you, Percy. You're my son, why would I not?"

"Promise?" I look up at him.

Poseidon nods, smiling. "I promise,"

I don't know why, but that's enough to persuade me. I smile too, turning my face into his side to hide it. Poseidon chuckles and keeps running a hand through my hair like mom would when I was very little. I forgot how nice it felt. I snake my arms around him in a hug. "Thank you," I whisper. Somehow, I know that he hears it, and his arm curls tighter.

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><p><strong>Such cute. Many wow.<strong>

**I'm still worrying about how fast this story is progressing. I'm a natural worrier, if you haven't noticed. I freak out at the tiniest of things, and I know that I'm taking it a lot slower than other stories out there, but still. I panic.**

**Since Tuesday I've added another two chapters to the story, taking the total chapters up to 35 - and I plan on adding a few more. Looks like I'm going to be working frantically tonight and tomorrow to get them all written so all I have to do is update. This I'm not panicking about, however. If I have to I can always update every three days rather than two, just to give me more time to write them.**

**Btw, I should apologize again for my slang. One reviewer last chapter actually made me laugh. 'Trainers' is our interpretation of, uh, 'sneakers' (I think). Like we say 'pop' instead of 'soda', and 'nappies' instead of 'diapers' and 'al-um-in-ee-um' rather than 'al-oo-min-um'.**

**Okay, so that's probably enough random chatter. I know, I'm annoying and I babble. Chapter 7 will be out Saturday - go ahead and leave a review or follow if you enjoyed this chapter (constructive criticism and advice is welcome, so long as you go about it politely). Now I need to go. I have a Maths test tomorrow that I have to pretend to revise for.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys, I'm back with Chapter 7! Before we go on, I just want to give (another) BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I actually read the reviews with a smile on my face and went into school like "Some people are so _darn _nice!" and started crying into my best friend's shoulder in the middle of History.**

**Kidding. I didn't really cry. But I did watching the Amazing Spiderman 2 and Frozen. Such feels. Many wow. Anyway, I didn't cry, but I did go in school and started telling my best friend about the amazing response I'm receiving 3 Hugs for everyone!**

**Hope that you enjoy this chapter. I personally quite like it, but hey, I'm not the judge. That's your job, people. Thanks again, and I'll speak to you more in the A/N below :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON**

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><p>I stay the rest of the weekend at Poseidon's.<p>

I really should go back to the home to join the other kids shopping for school however Poseidon insists on us having a lazy day in front of the TV. I sit next to him, his arm around my shoulders, laughing and making points about the shows and movies we're watching. It's nice, and for the first time in a while I feel like I have a proper home.

"C'mon," Poseidon says eventually, sighing as he pushes himself off the sofa. "We need to get out of this house some time. And you need stuff for school,"

I frown, reluctantly standing up too. "But I wanna stay here," I whine, looking longingly at the TV. _Praise be to Netflix._

Poseidon shoots me a look. "Go get changed,"

I huff, but obey.

Thirty minutes later, we're walking into the mall.

Now, I've never liked large crowds. I'm not really a people-person, if you haven't noticed. I mean, I don't mind being around people I'm close to – like Poseidon. To be honest, he's the only person that I've ever been close to. But the mall is literally the best place to go if you want to get lost in an unfamiliar crowd. I instinctively push closer to Poseidon was we fight our way through the sea of people, worried about getting split up from him.

"So," he says and he places a hand on my shoulder. "Where do you usually get your clothes?"

"Uh, anywhere that they cost less than five dollars or off older kids," I reply.

"Hmm," Poseidon frowns. "Well, c'mon, I'm getting you some proper clothes. Clothes that fit," he looks at the jeans I'm wearing pointedly, which are so long I'm walking on the tattered ends. I don't bother trying to protest.

That is, until I see the price tag on a set of new jeans.

"You can't pay that for a pair of _jeans_," I gasp, looking at Poseidon as though he just declared himself the king of, I don't now, cheeseburgers (though that would be pretty awesome). "It's ridiculous!"

"It's what normal people pay," Poseidon says, rolling his eyes. "Go try them on. If they fit we have a baseline for what else to get you,"

I try to make them not fit, but they fit. I'm not happy.

By the time we're paying for all the new clothes I'm pouting.

"_How_ much money did you just spend on me, exactly?" I ask as we head back to the car, carrying three bags of new clothes.

"Enough," replies Poseidon.

"Why?"

"Because you're my son. I'm meant to spoil you. And also, no offence, your old clothes were really scruffy and not even the right size for you,"

True. My mood brightens slightly but I'm still not displeased. Hugh's words are fresh in my mind. _Why would anyone bother with you_? I sigh angrily and rap my forehead to knock the thoughts out. Poseidon gives me a look, though he seems to be able to tell what I'm doing, and doesn't comment.

When we got home, Hestia calls. Poseidon goes into the kitchen to talk to her whilst I look for another new movie to watch. He comes back in looking displeased.

"Hephaestus's wedding is in two weeks," he says. "The weekend after you go back to school. Hera wants me to attend,"

"Oh no, not a few hours with your family," I gasp, grinning. Poseidon sits besides me and ruffles my hair (also shoving me away slightly).

"Shut up," he says. "It's worse than you think,"

I roll my eyes. "Then why do you have to go?"

"You've never met Zeus's wife. If she wants the family together, she'll get us together. Hestia said I should bring you – after all, the family doesn't even know you exist yet," Poseidon's face suddenly breaks into a mischievous smirk. "Ooh, but it'll be good to introduce you..."

"Will I, by any chance, play a part in this diabolical plan of yours," I ask, tone dry.

"Course you do. Just look cute and say nice things about me,"

I roll my eyes again, pretending to look thoughtful. "Well, the cute part will be easy, but saying nice things...ehh...that might not work out well,"

Poseidon grins. "Yeah, yeah. Do you wanna come to the wedding or not? Not the ceremony, of course. I'd die if I had to listen to that. The after party,"

"Will I have to wear a tux?"

"Nope,"

"Sure, I'm in,"

School starts the next week.

I've stayed at Poseidon's every night in the days following up to today and I feel like I'm practically living with him. He hasn't seemed to have noticed though, despite the fact that the laundry load had doubled with all of my clothes (my new, stupidly expensive clothes...). If he has noticed, however, he hasn't said anything. I guess that we both like it like this.

"Rise and shine!" Poseidon yells cheerfully on the morning of school, tearing the covers of my soft, warm bed off me and flinging them to the far-away floor. "Time for school!"

"No..." I moan, groping for the blanket but it's on the floor. "Go away..."

"Five minutes before I get the ice," says Poseidon and then he leaves, making as much noise as possible.

With achingly slow movements I climb out of bed, muttering under my breath. I've been dreading this day for weeks. Back to school. A new school. Yippee...

Five minutes later I'm showered and dress. Poseidon looks amused as I shuffle into the kitchen, still grumbling under my breath.

"Looking forward to today?" he asks, his usual cup of coffee in his hand.

"Hardly," I mutter. "I'll bet you any money I'm going to get into a fight with someone by the end of today,"

Poseidon frowns. "I'd rather not. You'll at least try not to fight, right?"

"No promises,"

"Percy..."

"_Fine._ I'll try my best. But if someone insults mom I'm gonna make them sing soprano for a week – I don't care who it is,"

Poseidon seems to be fighting a smirk, like he's trying to remain serious and stern about it. "Fine. I guess that's the best I can ask for, isn't it?" he says with a slight sigh.

I smile brightly. "Yup. Now what's for breakfast...?"

Breakfast takes way too little time. Driving to the new school and arguing over what jam is better also takes too little time. Finding somewhere to park the car is annoyingly easy. Soon, we're walking through the school gates, both Poseidon and I looking out of place. Kids run around screaming and shouting and squealing. Parents look like they've just witnessed death and speak to each other drearily about their hectic summers.

I notice that as Poseidon and I walk through the gates, we're the only ones who seem reluctant for the summer to end. Poseidon has his arm draped around my shoulders casually, like he can sense my discomfort. I welcome the touch.

Unlike us, the other parents on the school yard seem quite happy letting their kids disappear from sight. I can probably guarantee that one parent is going to throw a party when they get home. I know one of mom's boyfriends did about two years ago.

"You think you'll be okay?" Poseidon asks, glancing over at the door where I'm meant to go into my classroom. There are a group of kids nearby it, all talking and catching up. Being new here, I don't have anyone to talk to.

"I hope so," I say. "I'd rather be at the aquarium with you,"

"I'd rather you be there, too," says Poseidon. "But apparently it's illegal to take you out of school for no reason,"

I huff. "What a stupid law,"

"A stupid law indeed," Poseidon nods. "But think of the bright side – you're only here until 3, and then you can come and feed Glimmer for me. I've managed to persuade Nereus that she isn't healthy enough to go back into the wild,"

The teacher emerges from the classroom and a bell rings somewhere inside the building. The kids grumpily make themselves into a line.

"I guess this is it," I mutter.

Poseidon squeezes my shoulder. "Well, have fun – if you can,"

"Doubt it. Thanks anyway,"

"I'll meet you here later. Bye,"

I nod, smiling. After a moment of hesitation, Poseidon releases my shoulder. "Have fun," he repeats before leaving. I wave to him, take a deep breath, and join the back of the line.

"This is rubbish," I mutter to myself, huffing as I try with all my willpower to make out the words in the text I've been given to read by the teacher.

"Something wrong?" the boy next to me asks. His name is Grover, I think.

"I...um, I-I've got Dyslexia," I say after a few seconds, trying not to blush in embarrassment. "This makes no sense,"

Grover purses his lips. "Don't worry," he says, hesitating after a couple of seconds like I did. Good, so I'm not the only awkward kid in the class. "I have mild Dyslexia too. And I know loads of other kids who have it. Really smart kids,"

I can't help but smile gratefully. "I'm Percy Jackson," I say, and hold out my hand for him to shake like I've seen Poseidon do when he meets new people.

"Grover Underwood," Grover replies, smiling shyly as he shakes my hand. I nod and turn back to my work. The words continue to do cartwheels off the paper. "Do you...um, would you like some help?" asks Grover.

"Uh..." I glance at him. "Yeah, sure, i-if you don't mind,"

I expect him to laugh and say something insulting, but Grover just smiles and gives me hints on what a couple of the words are. He helps me for about five minutes until the teacher walks past and snaps at us for being disruptive, despite the fact that about ten other kids are talking louder than us. Great, another teacher who hates me within the first hour of class. Do I give off an anti-teacher vibe or something? Or does someone write on my forehead every time I start a new school/class: 'hate this child'?

"Hey, what sort of name is Percy?" some kid asks on my table, leaning over, his tone and horrible sneer reminding me of Hugh.

"My name," I reply blankly, keeping my head down.

The boy laughs. "It's a stupid name. My granny has a pug called Percy,"

I clench my teeth, hands curling into fists under the desk. I feel Grover's eyes on me. "Back off him, Luke," he says quietly. I glance at him for a second, feeling the warm sensation of gratefulness in my chest.

The kid, Luke, sneers again. "Shut up, goat boy,"

I see Grover's face turn bright red from the corner of my eye.

"Hey, don't insult him," I say without thinking, looking up and glaring at Luke. Yup, he even looks like a bastard. "What's Grover ever done to you, huh?"

"Are you _asking_ to be wedgied, newbie?"

"No. I actually think I was _telling_ you to _shut up_. Get it right," I grumble. Luke scoffs, trying to form words, and his friend (Chris, I think his name is) tries to hide a snicker behind his hand. Grover gapes in shock.

And that's the end of that conversation.

"Hey, Percy," Grover says, jogging to catch up to me as I hurry out into the yard as school finally finishes at 3pm. I turn to him. "Uh...th-thanks for defending me this morning, against Luke. He bullies everyone and, well, no one's ever spoke to him like that,"

"We're friends, aren't we?" I say. "Friends defend each other. You told him to lay off me, and I told him to go shove it,"

Grover blushes. "We'll, um, call it even then?"

"Sure, even," I nod and he shake hands again. I look across the yard and see Poseidon standing where he was this morning, looking bored. He spots me a moment later and waves me over.

"Hey, you wanna come meet my dad?" I ask, tugging on Grover's sleeve. He splutters nervously for a second before managing a nod and trailing after me towards Poseidon.

"Hey, Percy," Poseidon greets, smiling at me. His smile brightens when he sees Grover. "Who's this?"

"My new friend," I say. "Grover. Grover, this is my dad, Poseidon,"

"Hi," Grover mutters, looking sheepish. He glances around and I suppose he's looking his mom or dad. "I've, uh, gotta go, Percy. My mom needs to get home and go to work,"

I nod. "Sure. See you tomorrow,"

Grover nods hurriedly before limping away. Apparently he has a muscular disease in his legs – poor kid. Must be horrible not being able to do sports or anything like that.

"Not what I was expecting," Poseidon says to himself, watching Grover's retreating back across the yard.

"What, were you expecting me to come out with a bruised face and gang of angry classmates behind me?" I ask. "Geez, Poseidon, have some faith,"

Poseidon chuckles, throwing his arm around my shoulder as we walk towards the gates. "I didn't mean it like that," he says. "I'm glad you've made a friend,"

I look across the yard and spot Luke, who is glaring daggers at me and clenching his fist menacingly. I have a feeling that he'd planned on beating me up, but seeing me with Poseidon has changed his mind. "And an enemy, by the looks of it," I say.

"So you did have a fight?"

"Not physically," I reply, making Poseidon's shoulders nearly sag in relief. "Luke insulted my name, Grover stuck up for me, Luke insulted Grover and I stuck up for him. Now Luke's probably going to try and beat me up tomorrow morning," I tell him, sounding rather amused. "I'd like to see him try,"

"Don't tell Hestia I've told you this," Poseidon says, his voice hushed for no reason as he bent down to my height. "But if you're going to punch someone, aim for the nose over the nose – pain, blood and more pain all in one package. Plus, if you break it, their nose is crooked,"

I grin. "Is it good parenting teaching your nine year old son how to fight?"

"In my books, yeah. So long as he doesn't take the first swing – that's what gets you punished later. Now c'mon, or Glimmer's gonna get hungry,"

* * *

><p><strong>See? That's why I needed to know whether or not the jaw or nose hurts more. See, I thought it was the jaw at first, but I've never been punched so I didn't know. In fact, the only person that I've ever fought physically is my older brother ('sup, Markie). And he'd never hit be back, because one) I'm a girl and two) I'm younger than him. So he'd just let himself get beat up...yeah. I'm a horrible sister to both him and my two little sisters. Don't tell me that I'm the only one who walks into their room doing hip-thrusts when they have their friends around. <strong>

**So, yeah, I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. If you enjoyed the cuteness, stick around - there is _a lot _more to come. Believe me. I've actually had to tone it down in some chapters because the fluffiness was overwhelming, even for me.**

**If you liked _this_ chapter and want to see more, feel free to follow so you get an email every time I update (which is every two/three days) and drop a review. Any sort of feedback is welcome - positive, negative, whatever. I'm gonna finish this story either way.**

**Anyway, I'm gonna go now. Before I do, just wanna say excuse the profile picture...I got rid of the cover photo coz the quality was crap. You probably won't be able to see the changes yet if you're reading this on Saturday, but that was the most recent picture I had of myself. So...yeah. I'm weird. And so's Alex, my friend on the left.**

**Alright, alright, I'm going! Bye!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi, guys! It's me...and I'm later. Sorry. But I've just discovered that YouTube has an audiobook for the Lost Hero and because I don't have a copy and I really want to read the Heroes of Olympus series, I've been staying up until past midnight to listen to it - seriously, it's killing me, but I can't help it. I LOVE Piper and Jason (Damn it, Jason, just freaking kiss Piper!) and Leo! I'm on chapter 46. Why have I not got the books yet? Like seriously, dad, I'm meant to be your oldest daughter... ****Kidding. I actually rarely ask my dad for anything. When I'm around my family, I'm usually very moody and quiet. The only people I'm all hyper and fun around (like Percy is) is when I'm around my older bro and my friends. I dunno why.**

**This is what tiredness does to me. I ramble. Going to sleep at 00:30 and waking up at 6:00, being in school for 8:30...well, let's just say my History teacher wasn't pleased with me this morning. I'm having an early night tonight, though, promise (she says as it turns 22:15...). Okay, I'm just gonna shut up now. I hope you guys are pleased with this chapter - I think I am, actually.**

**Warnings for swearing and, uh, dark themes. I don't know how my mind works, really. There is some really sinister s**t in this chapter. And it gets worse as the fic progresses...muahahaha (suspense for you guys XD)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON.**

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><p><strong><span>Percy's POV<span>**

To be honest, school that week wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated. Usually, it takes me weeks to find some sort of friend (and by that, I mean someone who could tolerate me), but with Grover we click instantly. He's awkward, I'm awkward. He's different, I'm different. Both of us are kind of dumb when it comes to things like one-plus-one. Perfect match, eh? I spend breaks and lunches with Grover and we sit together in the morning lesson and we talk a lot. I think my teachers hate me already for it.

As for Luke? Well, he tried to ambush me on the yard the following morning to my first day. He took one look at Poseidon, who I know stayed besides me on purpose, and backed up as casually as possible, his face dropping with disappointment. So rather than beating me up in the morning before school, he had a crack at it during break.

I have to say, I think I owned that fight pretty well. Even if my eye is now bruised. It was more of a tie, because the teacher pried us apart before any more damage could be done. Everyone considers me the winner, however. Luke's nose will probably be crooked for the rest of his life. What a shame.

Poseidon's nephew, Hephaestus, is getting married tomorrow. I'm going with Poseidon to keep him company around his (apparently) unbearable family. I don't know whether or not to look forward to it. I mean, I get to see Hestia. Apparently Poseidon's niece, Thalia, is twelve and his nephew, Nico, is six. Maybe we'll get along. Or maybe not. Judging from my past luck with making friends, probably not. But hey – it makes Poseidon happy that I'm going.

Everything in my life is going fine, I guess. If you exclude annoying school mates and, uh, past memories. I'm actually rather happy...and then the nightmares come back. Since I've been staying at Poseidon's, I've been sleeping all through the night. The main reason for me not to sleep before I met him was because of the nightmares, but I thought I'd escaped them here.

Clearly not. Otherwise I wouldn't be awake right now, covered in cold sweat at two o'clock in the morning; taking in deep, ragged gasps of breath. I blink the gory images of my mom and the looming shapes of her boyfriends out of my eyes. My arms are actually trembling.

"Shit..."Pardon my French, but I really can't manage any more than that.

It takes me about three minutes to get myself out of bed and check the time. I run a shaky hand over my sweaty face, swallowing down bile. I haven't had a nightmare quite this bad in months. Not since mom died. That's what the nightmare was about – my mom's death. Except rather than hanging herself in her prison cell, I'd watched my mom be murdered multiple times by every boyfriend she's ever had, except for Poseidon. And once they'd finished gutting my mom, they'd move on to me, their weapon of choice glinting in their hands with dark red blood, and before I could actually feel the pain of dying, the scene would change into a different boyfriend and murder.

I hurry out of the room.

I linger outside of Poseidon's bedroom for many minutes, trying to summon the courage to open the door. I'm worried he'll shout at me or something if I wake him up. Eventually, I turn the handle and look inside the room, but the bed is empty. Recently vacated, by the looks of it. My heart races – where's Poseidon? Has he left me? He doesn't want me, does he? He lied...

These thoughts race through my mind as I walk down the stairs in a zombie-like state, my stomach churning last night's meal. I swallow it down again and try to control my shivering. I'm not even cold. But the images of my nightmare still loom in my mind.

_The moon, _I realise. _I need the moon._

To my surprise, the patio door is wide open. Poseidon is sat on the bench on the porch outside, overlooking the back yard and the pool, staring up at the glowing white moon which is clearly visible in tonight's cloudless sky. I stare at him for a second, the feeling of abandonment fading. I breathe a silent sigh of relief. He hasn't left me, I'm fine...

_Damn it, then why do I still feel hurt?_

The wooden planks groan slightly under my feet as I shift uncertainly, and Poseidon's head snaps towards me. For a second, he looks alarmed. Then his expression melts into relief, and then concern.

"Percy," he says. "What's wrong? Why aren't you asleep?"

"I..." I try to find the right words. "I...I couldn't sleep," it's clear from the sound of my voice that I'm scared, even to myself.

"Why?" Poseidon prompts, sitting up straighter.

I don't want to tell him. What if he laughs at me? I remember one of mom's boyfriends (Ian, wasn't it?) laughing at me when I woke up crying in the middle of the night. I tried to go to my mom's room for comfort, but he stood in my way. He told me to stop being a coward and backhanded me. I think I was about five then.

"N-nightmares..." I mutter after a few seconds, looking down. I feel a burning sensation behind my eyes and squeeze them shut, shaking my head and pinching the bridge of my nose. I see red – the colour of blood. A horrific scream echoes in my ears. I feel the ghost of a cold, sharp blade pressing against my neck...

"Percy," Poseidon says, drawing my attention. I look up to see him opening his arms. "Come here,"

I expect myself to hesitate. But I don't. I all but run into my father's embrace.

It's hard to explain the emotions I feel. There's something fuzzy and warm in my chest. A sense of relief. Gratitude. Love. I curl up next to Poseidon on the bench, hiding my face in his pyjama t-shirt, forcing sobs back the way they came and trying my hardest not to make a sound. Poseidon doesn't seem to mind the strange chocking noises I make whist trying. He just...holds me. Like my mother did when I was young and no one could stop me from getting to her, before she slipped into the world of drugs and alcohol. It's clear that nothing can hurt me here. Not even the nightmares. Almost as though my dad is some sort of guardian, protecting me from everything and anything.

I relax, letting all the emotional walls and barriers I'd created crumble. I don't have the will to hold them any more – there's nothing threatening me, so why should I?

I'm not sure how long Poseidon and I are outside on the porch. An hour, at the least. I would fall asleep here, except I'm still trembling; only now it is from the cold. I force myself to stay awake and at last I pull away enough to look at my dad, my limbs surprisingly stiff. "Sorry," I say out of instinct.

His hand runs through my hair without even realising it. "Don't apologize for anything," he tells me. He's then silent for a minute. "Are...you okay?"

I nod honestly. "I am now,"

"Do you want to tell me what your dream was about?"

I shudder and Poseidon seems to tell that it's a bad question, because his arms tighten gently around me. "It was...my mom was in it," I say eventually, my voice oddly quiet. "And all of her boyfriends, but not at the same time. They appeared one by one, killed my mom, went on to kill me and then the other one would appear and they'd do the same..."

"Killed as in..."

"Murdered. Yeah," I raise a hand to rub my throat subconsciously, shuddering again. "It felt real..."

We're silent again. Poseidon doesn't seem to know what to say. Neither do I, really. We're both new to this kind of thing. Instead he just pulls me closer so I'm resting my head on his shoulder and keeps running his hand through my messy, sleep-matted hair. I can't help but feel annoyed at how constantly messy it is...

"It's cold," Poseidon mumbles eventually. His fingertips brush my arm. "You're freezing. We've been out here for too long,"

"You've been out here longer," I say defiantly, my eyelids starting to feel heavy. I ignore the fact that Poseidon has at least thrown on some socks before coming outside and has long, warm pyjama pants. Meanwhile I'm just wearing shorts without any shoes or socks.

I feel him chuckle lightly. "C'mon, let's go inside before you get ill,"

I don't want to move, but it's clear that Poseidon isn't giving me a choice. We stand up and wander back inside; Poseidon closes the patio door and locks it behind us. I nearly melt in the heat of the house, sighing in relief as my ice cold skin starts to warm up in an instance. Note to self – don't just sit outside on an early September morning for no reason, because it's _cold_. I should make a list of all these notes...

Poseidon leads me upstairs. It's clear that I'm tired. I keep stumbling. Still, I don't want to go to bed. The nightmares; they'll return, I know they will. Now that they've started up again, they'll keep coming. And every time they'll be worse.

"Get in," Poseidon urges, lifting up the discarded blanket of my bed.

I glance at it hesitantly before sliding under, not wanting to anger my father and risk him leaving me alone. I guess I'm not completely recovered from that brief moment of panic earlier. Poseidon pulls the blanket around me, almost like he's tucking me in. Just like mom did, once again. I wonder how things would have been if Poseidon had been part of my life earlier.

"Wait," I say before he can straighten up and leave. "I-I don't..." I trail off, blushing red. _Great, so I _look_ like a small child all swaddled in blankets, and now I'm freaking _acting_ like one...can this night get any more embarrassing?_

Poseidon sits on the edge of the bed regardless. "What?"

I don't know how to say it. I chew my lip nervously and fiddle with my fingernails under the blanket. "The nightmares," I tell him eventually. "They'll come back. I don't want to go to sleep. Can't I stay awake and watch TV or something?"

"You have to go back to sleep, Percy," says Poseidon, running his hand through my hair again. It makes me relax, though only slightly. "The nightmares won't come, I promise,"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'll keep them away,"

I look at Poseidon cautiously, not believing him. He reads my expression and sighs silently, before lying down. There's enough room for him on the double bed for it (and for the record, I nearly died when I was told the bed is mine). I'm confused. "What are you doing?" I ask.

"Sleep," Poseidon urges. He keeps a hand on my head, fingers tangled through my hair. "I'll be here, don't worry. You won't have any nightmares,"

I can't be bothered to protest, despite the nagging voice saying in the back of my mind: '_you're nine years old, stop being such a baby..._'. I'm so tired. I give Poseidon a rather half-hearted glance of weariness before closing my eyes. It takes mere seconds for me to drift away into blissful sleep. But before I can, I roll over and, well, _snuggle_ against my father's chest. I can hear his heartbeat and for some reason it's the most reassuring sound I've ever heard. Something presses briefly to the top of my head.

Moments later, I'm asleep, and the nightmares never come.

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><p>I wake up the next morning, slightly surprised to find myself perfectly content, nightmare free and – still wrapped up in Poseidon's arms.<p>

Both of us fell asleep last night, it seems. I'm in the same position as I was before I drifted off; facing Poseidon, forehead nuzzled against his chest. His hand is still in my hair and his other arm has draped lightly around me, as though through the night he'd had to tug me close to him again. I think that I do shift in my sleep quite a lot. He must have had to keep pulling me back into him subconsciously - or on purpose. I don't know.

My arm is a little dead, too. But I don't care. I shift slightly to relieve the awkward pain and even dare to move closer. Well, I guess that this is as good a time as any to just enjoy the moment. I've never been this close to anyone in nearly a year – probably longer. And I like it. I close my eyes again and take a while to bask in the peace...

Time passes. I'm not sure how long exactly. It might have been five minutes. Ten minutes. Thirty minutes. An hour? Maybe even two. I don't know. But eventually I feel Poseidon shift. It isn't a natural movement like he's trying to get comfy again. His arm tightens and something presses to the top of my head. I try to hide a smile and pretend to be asleep for a couple more minutes, just so Poseidon will believe that I never felt the affectionate kiss.

Eventually, I open my eyes, blinking like I'd just woken up.

"Well, you look like the Walking Dead," Poseidon states, not wasting a second before shooting a playful insult at me. How pleasant.

I glare at him. "Says you," I snort, still a little too tired to come up with a good come back. There's a pause. "I didn't have any nightmares,"

"Good," Poseidon says, smiling. He removes his arm and sits up, whilst I just snuggle under my covers for a few more seconds. He checks his watch. "Damn. It's just gone noon,"

"When's the party?" I ask, half my face hidden by the duvet.

"Not until three. We have time. We should probably still get up,"

I groan, hiding under the blanket completely. The mattress moves, indicating that Poseidon has stood, and he tries to pull the covers off me. I yelp over-dramatically, diving back under them at the foot of the bed. "Noooo!" I whine, grabbing what I can the covers and holding them tightly in my fists.

Poseidon snickers. "You know the rules. Two minutes before I get the ice,"

I grumble, reluctantly sliding off the bed with the covers still wrapped tightly around me. He's not lying about the ice. Thursday morning I refused to wake up and he somehow managed to pin my duvet to the bed and then throw some ice under it. I screamed for, like, thirty seconds before I was able to get out from under the duvet and run for the bathroom where I was in the scalding hot shower for twenty minutes. For some reason, Poseidon told me I was being a diva. _Me._ A diva. Pfft, ridiculous, right? Divas are girls.

"You're so mean, you know that," I mutter unhappily as I trudge down the stairs, determined to stay wrapped up in my blanket which could have encased my entire body three times it was so big. I guess that's because it's for a double bed.

"Suck it up," Poseidon retorts, nudging me down the stairs so I nearly fall (not that it would have hurt if I did; I'm wrapped up in so much duvet).

We make some cereal, despite the fact that it's actually time for lunch, and sit on the sofa. I let Poseidon have some of my blanket as we watch TV, silently agreeing on spending an hour or two being lazy (we're starting some sort of that exercise stuff next week, I swear) before heading off to the party.

"Hey, Poseidon?" I say once we'd finished eating.

He looks at me, taking a sip of coffee. "Yeah, Percy?"

I blush. This has been playing on my mind for a while, now. "I, uh..." I mutter. "Last night; I just want to, um, y'know...say thanks,"

Poseidon smiles and puts his arm around my shoulders. "You're my son – it's my job," he says. "Any time you have a nightmare or you don't feel well or anything like that, you're more than welcome to come to me, Percy,"

"Yeah, but sometimes I worry that you'll get mad or something," I murmur.

"I won't. Never," Poseidon promises. I feel that warmness in my chest again and beam. "Now...we should probably get our asses in gear, right. I think that if we sit here any longer, we'll forget what the sun looks like,"

"Ew, outside," I grimace. Joking, obviously.

Poseidon doesn't respond. He just stands up, grabs me, and throws me over his shoulder, heading towards the stairs. "Dad!" I yell, shrieking with laughter as he makes sure to walk with a spring in his step so I bounce on his shoulder. I can't move either, as I'm still swaddled in so much blanket. Maybe that wasn't a good idea after all. Poseidon carries me up the stairs and chucks me back on to the bed, tells me to get dressed, and then leaves.

It's the first time that I've called Poseidon 'dad'. But neither of us notice – if anything, it feels as though I've been saying it for years.

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><p><strong>Cute? I think it's cute. I tried to tone it down, but I just couldn't resist. You guys all seem to love the fluff so much, I kept it. OH! And one reviewer asked about AnnabethPercabeth...well, she is in this fic, however they won't be getting romantic until the sequel (sorry to those who don't like Percabeth, but I love them).**

**I was just wondering - what do you guys think about me setting up a twitter account for my FanFiction account so I can share some drawings of Percy Jackson I've done. Not all of them are great, obviously. A couple I've actually just copied from the internet on to paper, just to build up my skill. I have one or two that show scenes of this fic...so, what do you think? Yay or nay?**

**I've changed my pen name, by the way. I wasn't really _feeling_ the Ice Phoenix, so I changed it to JustARandomBrit because I'm always going on about being British...speaking of which, I hate the weather right now. You have no idea how much I hate my friend who is currently on holiday in Florida - _Harry Potter World, people!_ Screw you, Connor -_-**

**Ugh, I'm tired. I'm going now. Hope you liked this chapter. The next one will be out on Friday, because I've decided to start extending the days between each update. Review, if you wish. Basically everything I've said in the past chapters. Bye!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my god. I'm such an idiot. I'm a day late - I swear to god I thought only three days had passed since I last updated. I'm so sorry guys! Please, feel free to tell me off in the reviews :( BUT, to say sorry, here is a _very_ long chapter. Longer than most, actually.**

**This chapter's mostly just introducing the Olympia family - I hope you guys like how I portray Thalia and Nico. If you have anything you want me to change about their personalities, feel free to mention something in the reviews. So...yeah. I've not got much to say here except I thank you to everyone who has shown support - ya'll are awesome, seriously. Much love 3 Hope you enjoy chapter 9!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p><span><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

Two hours later, we're in the car and driving off to the venue of the wedding; aiming to arrive at about half three as Poseidon didn't want to be the first to be greeted – if anything, he wanted to just slip into the crowd and not be noticed by anyone but his brothers. And even then, he didn't want to hang around with them for long.

The venue, surprisingly, is being held at Poseidon's brother's house. Zeus apparently has this massive mansion however I reckon that Poseidon's just exaggerating about that. We both have a habit of over exaggerating things.

"So, how are you going to break the news to them?" I ask, admiring the secluded road we drive down, through a thick forest towards the 'mansion'. It sounds quite far out of the city, but it's actually only a twenty minute drive from our house.

"'Oh, hey, family, what a pain it is to see you again – who is this you ask? Oh, just my son. Not that it's any of your business. Goodbye'," Poseidon mimics.

I roll my eyes. "Seriously,"

Poseidon sighs. "Fine. I'll probably introduce you to Zeus and Hades first, then their kids. Whatever order it goes in. After that, we'll find somewhere to sit and get on some people's nerves. Anyway, we're here now,"

At that moment we turn around a corner and the trees part to reveal a beautiful mansion. It's built on the outskirts of the forest, so that behind it there's nothing but empty fields. "Whoa!" I gasp. "Okay...you weren't kidding about the mansion part,"

"My brother can be quite a show off," says Poseidon, pulling up. There are a lot of other cars parked around the driveway, which is a large circle around a fountain. Before he climbs out, however, he turns to me. "If you get uncomfortable or anything, tell me – okay?"

"Sure," I reply. I'll admit; looking at the amount of cars has made me nervous.

"My family can be quite...um, how do you put it? _Heavy._ It's fine if you want to go home," Poseidon continues. I nod and flash him a smile and then we climb out of the car.

There's a butler standing at the door with the guest list. Poseidon doesn't even have to say his name before the butler greets him and leads us through the large house until we come to the back garden. It's quite warm for a September day and there's a big marquee set up. Guests bustle around talking with one another and gushing about the bride who is apparently gorgeous.

One woman worms her way through the crowd and comes to stand in front of Poseidon and I. "Poseidon!" she gushes, going to give him a hug. He pats her back awkwardly, as though the hug is more like being in a straight jacket than a friendly gesture. "How wonderful to see you!" the woman continues.

"And you, Hera," Poseidon says politely, putting his arm around my shoulders again once she'd released him. "Are my brothers around?"

The woman, Hera's, eyes land on me. "Who's this?" she asks sharply, ignoring his question.

"My plus one," Poseidon replies shortly. "My brothers, Hera. I wish to greet them,"

Her lips are pursed and she obviously isn't pleased. Hera glares at me, nods stiffly, and motions for us to follow her.

I stick to Poseidon's side as we head towards the marquee. A couple of time I nearly get separated from him, the crowd is so thick. Luckily Poseidon keeps his arm around me and I happily remain plastered to him. Inside the marquee is much less crowded. There are people who I notice look a little like my dad – black hair, handsome/pretty faces. So maybe outside the guests are all related to the bride and inside are related to Hephaestus, the groom. I don't know...

There are two men stood, slightly split off from the others, besides the banquet table. They're talking quietly though the conversation is clearly not very...smooth, if you know what I mean.

"My dearest," Hera says, standing besides the burlier man's side and laying her hand on his arm. There's suddenly a sweet, flashy smile on her face that looks slightly forced. "Your younger brother is here,"

The man turns to us. "Poseidon," he says, his face remaining neutral with no sign of a smile.

"Zeus," Poseidon says and shakes his hand, as though they were business partners rather than brothers. He turns to the other man, who's skinnier and certainly younger than Zeus, yet still older than Poseidon. "Hades,"

"Poseidon," says Hades, nodding curtly. His black eyes land on me. As do Zeus's piercing blue ones. Zeus gives Hera a short look and she walks away reluctantly, still glaring at me suspiciously. Okay, so Poseidon wasn't lying about _her_.

"Brothers," Poseidon says. "I'd like you to meet Percy Jackson,"

The two men stare at me. Their eyes are so intense, I feel like holding my hand up to block their faces from my view. I think that might come across as rude though. "Uh, hi," I say sheepishly. There, that's much more polite than blocking their faces from my view.

"He looks like you," Zeus states flatly, raising his eyebrow at his little brother and ignoring my greeting.

Poseidon nods and lifts his shoulders in a small shrug. "Well, that's because he is my son,"

The next thirty seconds are filled with _the most _awkward silence in the history of awkward silences. I blush after just a few seconds of it, eyes trained on the floor – willing it to suck me up and take me away from the Master of Awkward Silence. Did Poseidon want this to happen? Something tells me that he finds this amusing...

"Son," repeats Hades slowly, as though he doesn't believe it. "You have a son...and you never bothered to mention it,"

"In my defence, I myself have only known for a matter of weeks," says Poseidon, arm curling tighter around my shoulders. "His mother and I were together in the final year of high school. I never knew she had become pregnant until Hestia returned from her trip to Australia last month with a letter saying that I had a nine year old son,"

"You could have called," Zeus grumbles. He doesn't sound angry – more like he's in some sort of trouble because of it. "Hera's going to have a fit," Ah, that's why.

"I know. That's why I haven't told her,"

"And what? Now you have custody of him?" Hades asks. He looks around the marquee. "I see no mother. Is she not here?"

I wince. "She's dead," I tell him, carefully keeping my voice steady and plain. "She committed suicide last year while in jail,"

"I'll explain another time," Poseidon says quickly before his brothers can inquire any more. "Are Thalia and Nico around?"

"I will go find them," Zeus sighs, rubbing his tired eyes. Huh, throwing a big wedding party must be tiring. "You two had better go greet the bride and groom, Poseidon. It would be rude not to,"

"Of course," Poseidon replies. I can tell that he's trying not to roll his eyes. "Come on, Percy. We'll catch up again with you in a bit,"

And with that, Poseidon steers me away towards the woman in a long white wedding dress and veil, who is clearly Aphrodite, stood besides a man in a tailcoat who must be her new husband and my cousin, Hephaestus.

"They weren't so bad," I mutter, glancing back at Hades who now stood on his own whilst Zeus disappeared to find my cousins. Huh. It feels odd saying that.

"I guess not," says Poseidon, sounding confused. "Which is odd, for my brothers. I expected Zeus to make a more snide comment than 'Hera's going to have a fit'...I mean, an insult, at the least...he must be having a midlife crisis..."

He trails off as we come to the newly-wed couple. I manage to elbow him sharply in the ribs before either of them could notice us.

"Uncle Poseidon," says Hephaestus, smiling (though it doesn't really look right on his well-worn face). I try not to look at his twisted, lumpy leg that's supported by some sort of metal contraption. I think Poseidon mentioned that Hephaestus is crippled; apparently he was in an accident when he was a baby. Though no one knows the actual cause of the accident, everyone in the family agreed, behind her back, that it was probably Hera. She never liked Hephaestus when he was a baby, always claiming he was ugly. And, well, I can see what she meant.

"Hephaestus," Poseidon sounds a lot more cheerful around his nephew. I think that they get along. The two men shake hands, but in a more friendly manner than Zeus and Hades.

We're all introduced to one another; Poseidon briefly explains me, blah, blah, blah. Hephaestus seems nice enough, though I have the feeling that he's usually a very, _very_ grumpy person. Though I guess that today is his wedding day so he's got no reason to be grumpy. Especially when you look at his bride – Aphrodite has to be the prettiest woman I've ever seen. Who wouldn't be happy marrying her?

When we're finish talking (and Poseidon made sure it doesn't take long) we return to the buffet table. Zeus is stood with Hades again, yet this time there are two children with them both. The girl standing besides Zeus looks like she's in her early teens – twelve, thirteen maybe. She's definitely Zeus's daughter; they have the same black hair (though the girl's is short and spiky like she'd cut it herself with blunt scissors) and her eyes are a piercing shade of blue, rimmed with thick black eyeliner that sort of throws off the effect of the pale blue dress she's wearing. She must be one the bridesmaids.

The boy standing with Hades bores a resemblance to the older man too. His black hair is a little wavy and being a little too long, falls into his black eyes that are darker than coal. He has an unhealthy look to his skin, though his small smile suggests he's a relatively happy boy, if you don't notice the gleam of trauma in his eyes – similar to the gleam I see in my own eyes sometimes. He has to be six years old at the most.

"There they are," Zeus says, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and looking at my dad and I as we approach. They must have been in the middle of talking about Poseidon and I.

"Uncle Poseidon," the girl grins.

"Hello Thalia – haven't you grown," says Poseidon.

The girl, Thalia, beams and gives Zeus an 'I-told-you-so' stare (a stare that I give to Poseidon all of the time now), which makes him shake his head.

"Who's this?" she asks, noticing me. Her bright eyes narrow and scan my body, sizing me up. I should know – it's happened to me hundreds of times.

"My son, Percy," replies Poseidon.

"I have another cousin?" Thalia blinks. "My age?"

"Hey!" the little boy exclaims. He goes ignored; Hades pats his shoulder sympathetically.

"How old are you?" Thalia inquires, tilting her head to the side.

"Nine," I reply.

The little boy was pouting. "I'm nearly nine," he says, chest puffing in an attempt to look bigger. He looks silly, being so thin and short, even for his age.

Hades shakes his head and pats his shoulder again. "In time, Nico," he says, sounding weary as though the kid says this all the time.

"You're six, Nico. You have...three years," Thalia says, glancing at her dad. He nods, telling her it's correct. Huh, is Dyslexia a family thing too?

"Why don't you three get to know each other?" Zeus suggests after a moment.

I glance cautiously at Poseidon. He nods, though his face sends the message 'if you want to'. I don't really want to make him sit on his own for the rest of the evening – after all, I did come with Poseidon just to keep him company. But he also seems to be eager for me to talk to my cousins and socialise a bit. After a second of hesitation, I give Zeus a small, timid nod. "Sure, why not," I say. Though I'm not sure what 'getting to know each' other will include.

"Great!" Nico says. He grabs my hand and tugs me towards the back of the marquee, where there's an exit leading outside to the garden – the section with no guests, whilst bouncing on the balls of his feet. "C'mon, hurry up! You can help me kill Thalia,"

_Whoa, okay. This kid should lay off the sugar. And...whatever makes serial killers._

"Calm down, son," says Hades.

"Still hyper?" asks Poseidon, grinning at the tired look on his brother's face. Oh, right – Hades is a single dad most of the time, isn't he? Poor guy. I remember what I was like when I was six (well, when none of mom's boyfriends were around). Seriously, single parents with children under the age of eight should always get some sort of medal.

Hades sighs. "Oh, you have no idea,"

"Let's go – you can be a hero with Nico. I'm always the monster anyway because Nico's a baby," says Thalia, grabbing my other hand and pulling me away.

"Am not!" little Nico protests. I have a feeling that they argue about this a lot. Looking over my shoulder, I see Poseidon, Hades and Zeus all looking rather amused – my dad most of all. Poseidon shoots me a sarcastic smile and wave. I glare at him before I'm tugged outside.

The rest of the garden behind the marquee is empty. A few metres away there are some discarded toy swords and shields. Nico picks up the smaller sword and shield, both of which were made from foam and are painted black and silver; the shield has images of things like Toy Story and big, scary-looking dogs. Clearly it's been made just for Nico. The other shield and sword are wood. The sword is white and the shield is light blue, like Thalia's eyes, with images of lighting and some weird punk bands painted on it.

"You can use my sword and shield for now, until you have your own," says Thalia, handing me the wooden set.

"These are so cool," I say, marvelling the drawings. I've not been drawing as much as I used to, recently. Maybe I should go back to it when I get home.

"I know. Hephaestus made them for us for our birthdays. Maybe he'll make you your own shield too, but you'll have to tell him what you like so he can do these designs," Thalia says. "Now, you two go and hide. I'm gonna count to twenty and then come and find you,"

"Like hide-and-seek?" I ask.

Nico nods. "Yeah, but when Thal finds you we have to try and kill her because she's a monster. But not in real life. I think that Uncle Zeus would be mad if we killed Thal,"

Thalia smirks, like she knows it's true, and covers her eyes. "One, two..."

"No cheating," I call as I run after Nico.

"No promises," Thalia calls back, though I can tell she's joking.

Luckily, the Nico and I are both quite small and very fast. Within a matter of seconds we've found the perfect hiding spots; I'm crouched in a bush which is hollow on the inside (weird, I know, but they do exist) and Nico is sat in a tree hallow trunk, blending in with the shadows. He has this really evil smirk on his face which almost makes me want to hide somewhere else.

We play about ten rounds of hide-and-seek/ kill-the-monster. I'm a hero five times and the monster five times. Nico is a hero all ten times because when he can't find us he gets frustrated and starts bawling. And Hades, like Poseidon and probably Zeus too, doesn't like his child crying. Although he doesn't come across as an over-protective parent. I guess it comes with losing a child – to a murderer, no less.

Zeus, Poseidon and Hades leave the marquee to check on us during round ten. They find us just as Nico and I tackle Thalia, the monster, to the floor. Nico whacks her on the head with the hilt of his foam sword, crying in victory, and I point my sword at her throat as though it's the real thing.

"Got you," I smirk triumphantly. "_Again_,"

Thalia stands and shoves me, though she's smirking too. "Shut up. I got you in the last round. And the round before that. And-,"

Zeus clears his throat, drawing our attention to him and our other dads. "Having fun?"

I grin at Poseidon, who's smiling fondly. "I think I've just found my new favourite game," I say. "Beating Thalia,"

She tackles me to the floor. I laugh as Nico jumps to my defence, leaping on top of Thalia's back and pounding her skull with his foam sword. The adults let us wrestle for about thirty seconds before Hades picks up Nico and set him on his hip, signalling that the play-fight is over. Thalia clambers off me and offers me her hand, but I don't trust her and push myself to my feet. Thalia rolls her eyes, her blue irises glinting.

"Everyone's waiting to meet you, Percy," says Poseidon. "I've explained to my family who you are and stuff. They're all...well, most of them are eager to meet you,"

I try not to pale and the mention of meeting new people. Damn it. I'm so unsociable it's actually stupid.

Poseidon wraps an arm around my shoulder. I notice his brothers raising their eyebrows at him, like they're teasing him, but he ignores them. I glance at Zeus and Hades; Zeus is holding his daughter's hand and Hades is still carrying Nico, looking reluctant to put him down. Huh. I didn't expect either of them to be so loving of their children. Maybe...maybe it's a family thing, because Poseidon is pretty much like that.

We head back into the marquee and Zeus's wife, Hera, appears next to us (out of nowhere, seriously).

"So, Poseidon," she says, tone gritted through her sparkling teeth. "This is your...son, I see. Rather scrawny for his age, isn't he? Ares was _much_ healthier,"

Poseidon glares at her. "I'm right here, you know," I say before he can reply, already peeved off at the lady. "Don't you think it's rude to make a comment about people whilst ignoring them?" I cock my head to the side, daring her to answer.

Hera looks somewhere between gobsmacked and angry. Hades, Poseidon and Zeus are all equally shocked, however try to hide it. Thalia and Nico are full-on beaming at me, like I'm their saviour or something.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Hera fumes.

"Next time, keep your nose out of it," says Poseidon, arm wrapping tighter around me as he smiles proudly, getting over his shock. "Yes, this is my son. And he's perfect the way he is, thank you very much. I don't need you to compare him to your spoiled brat of a child,"

Hera scoffs. "Ares is a dream child! Better than your offspring by _far_,"

"Which explains why he's flirting with the bride, then," says Hades, rolling his eyes. Hera looks around and hurries away, face burning, to drag her youngest son away from Aphrodite. He was stood extremely close to her, hand hovering near her waist. She was giggling, like he had said something charming. Hephaestus was stood a few feet away from them, scowling, though not doing anything.

"Usually, I would be offended by that," says Zeus, watching his wife's retreating back. "However those genes are completely Hera's,"

"How you share a house with her, I don't know," Hades says, rolling his eyes.

"She's horrible," groans Thalia. Zeus gives her a half-hearted reprimanding look.

Out of the crowd two boys appear. Both seem to be in their late teens – one of them, the slightly younger one, looking like a model and the other a little geeky though still good-looking. That's another thing I've noticed in Poseidon's family. Everyone (except for Hephaestus) is freakishly beautiful/handsome. It sort of makes me feel out of place because I'm so skinny and not-handsome. I guess that makes me Hephaestus's best cousin, right?

"Yo, Uncle P!" says the younger boy. He grins at my dad and then at me. "You're Percy, right? I'm Apollo – give it an hour and I'll be your favourite cousin, promise,"

Right – he's the sixteen year old one with the twin, if I remember correctly. "Hi," I smile. I might as well be polite, forget my anti-social-ness and leave a good impression, right? Plus Apollo already seems like someone easy to get along with.

Before Apollo can say anything else (he certainly looks like the chatter-box, big-headed type) the other boy elbows him. "Apollo, be quiet before you scare him," he says. Apollo splutters indignantly. The boy continues, "I'm Hermes, by the way. This idiot's my little brother,"

"Keep your wallet hidden," Thalia stage-whispers to me as Apollo says something to Hermes and the two start bickering playfully. They're actually both pretty similar, except Hermes is a bit more mature than his little brother, as well has brainier, and Apollo has a rather big head (in a good way, though, if that makes sense). "Hermes is a master pick-pocketer. Daddy thought it would be cool to teach him,"

I'm sure whether or not that's good parenting. Then again, I've been taught the art of thievery too – just on a criminal scale. And Poseidon has taught me how to fight and occasionally teaches me swear words and their meanings. Hestia would skin him alive if she knew. Speaking of my aunt, I wonder where she is. I ask Poseidon and he leads the way through the crowd.

We find Hestia within a matter of minutes. She greets me with a hug and kiss on the cheek and introduces me to her sister, Demeter. We don't linger long, however. An argument brews between Hades and his sister within seconds over Persephone, Hades' on-and-off wife and Demeter's sort-of adopted daughter. She's here at the wedding somewhere.

Dionysus is already extremely drunk when I'm introduced to him. Artemis, Apollo's twin, is shooting him dirty looks as he hits on girls from Aphrodite's side of the family. Meanwhile she's texting some friends from her 'Hunters' group. Apparently she's the leader of these badass girl-scouts who believe in stuff like girl power and eternal-virginity and that all boys are idiots (Apollo's words, not mine). Ares and I _don't_ get along. He sneers and looks me up and down, as though challenging me to a fight. Poseidon has to pull me away before I get too annoyed and punch him.

And that's about it for the Olympia family. Overall, they're...uh, nice. I can tell that they don't always get along, though. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades are all acting extremely formal around each other, still. Once I finish meeting my family (it feels weird calling them that) I run back outside with my cousins to continue our game.

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><p><strong>The next chapter is continues on from this, don't worry. Two more important characters will be introduced - hope you enjoyed this one!<strong>

**Sorry this update took so long, guys. As I mentioned earlier, I thought today was when I was meant to update. I'd also been working on other chapters; y'know, changing them and adding other chapters. One reviewer asked if Percy and Poseidon could have an argument - DONE! Chapter 12 is now completely different and I've added an extra chapter after that. All I can say is that it's better than what it used to be.**

**If giving you a _very _long chapter wasn't a big enough apology, chapter 10 will be out on Monday. It might be late on Monday, though. I'm going with my nan and auntie to find out whether my cousin is a boy or girl and then going shopping for baby stuff XD I can't wait! I love children so much (not in a weird way). I've always been fascinated by the science of pregnancy and I want to be a midwife when I'm out of school. Plus, this is my first cousin - technically. I have three cousins on my mum's side of the family, but I've not seen any of them in about five years. In fact, I've never even met two of them...yeah, that's a long story.**

**Anyway, I'll see you all on Monday. Leave a review. I know this chapter wasn't so much about the plot and was more about introducing the characters, but hey, it had to be done. The next chapter will be more about the plot...in fact, it will be the start of the main plot, if you know what I mean. But no spoilers! Have a lovely weekend, guys - especially everyone who's off school for a week, like me. PRAISE BE!  
><strong>

**I'm sorry, I'll shut up now...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! So, this is the 'early' chapter that I promised you. It's not quite as early as I'd hoped it would be, but I've had a really busy day today, guys. Last night I slept at my aunt and uncle's with my two little sisters. Then this morning I went to the hospital with my aunt, uncle and nan and got to see my baby cousin! They told the midwife that I also want to be a midwife when I'm older so they grudgingly let me in to see a bit of the scan. It's a boy, I can confirm. And he was hyper as shit - doing spins and kicking and _yawning_. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.**

**After the hospital, we were stuck in traffic for an hour. We returned to my nans for a few minutes then went shopping. We spend about fifty quid (pounds, for you Americans) on baby clothes. We spend hours shopping then went to Pizza Hut. I'm still stuffed with pepperoni...**

**Anyway, that's just a run-down on my day. It was hectic and it doesn't help that I didn't get much sleep last night. I should really be asleep now, in fact. My eyes are drooping. I hope you enjoy this chapter - thank you to all you reviewers and followers and stuff! I'm getting emails constantly :P**

**Well...yup. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>Again, a few rounds into our game we had another interruption. A girl around my age with curly blonde hair and weird grey eyes comes out of the marquee, looking around nervously until her eyes land on Thalia (who has me pinned to the floor). The girl smiles, "Thalia!"<p>

Thalia releases me and a second later she's hugging the girl. I sat up, looking at her in confusion. Okay, I swear to god I've seen this girl before, but where? Nico grins – he clearly recognises her.

"I've not seen you in ages, Annie!" Thalia exclaims once she and the blonde-haired girl had stopped hugging. What is it with girls and hugging?

"Only a week," the girl giggles. "My mom's been busy with work,"

Thalia just beams. She grab's the girl's hand and drags her over to me and Nico. "C'mon, you can play with us," she says.

"Hi, Annie!" Nico says brightly, waving to the girl.

"Hello, Nico," the girl smiles, ruffling my little cousin's hair. She looks up at me, confused.

"Oh, right, I should introduce you – Annabeth, this is my cousin Percy Jackson. Percy, this is my best friend, Annabeth Chase," Thalia says.

Hold on. Annabeth Chase. I've heard that name before. She goes my school! She's in my class, in fact, but we've never spoke – not even made eye-contact. Annabeth's the quietest kid there is, at least in school. Here, out of school, she seems quite chatty.

"You go my school," Annabeth states, staring at me. Her eyes are unnerving – more so than Zeus and Hades's, in fact. But strangely I don't get the urge to hide from them.

"I know," I say slowly, nodding.

"I didn't know you knew Thalia,"

"Neither did I. We only met today,"

Annabeth glances at Thalia who waves her hand dismissively. "I'll explain later, promise," she says. "C'mon, we're playing our favourite game,"

"Heroes vs monsters?" Annabeth asks excitedly.

Thalia nods. "Yup! Me and you can be the monsters first, 'coz Nico doesn't like being the monster, and we'll play boys versus girls. Then we'll swap,"

Nodding, we split off. Nico and I run away whilst the girls start counting. I'll admit – I'm confident that we'll win. Nico and I are the best at hiding and sometimes Thalia isn't very observant and she'll just walk past us. I assume that Annabeth will be the same.

I'm wrong. Very wrong.

Two minutes into the round, I'm racing away from Annabeth. She's hurling playful insults at me and I was hurling them back.

"LEAVE ME ALONE BEAST!" I scream, sprinting through the garden; leaping over hedges and rolling under statues.

"NEVER PETTY HUMAN!" she retorts. I've never really spoken to Annabeth in school but she seems pretty cool here. She's not like other girls, like Thalia. They're both tough and independent and don't care about getting their clothes and hair dirty. In fact, it's Annabeth who tries to tackle me into the fountain. Thankfully Thalia steps in before she can and that round ends pretty fast.

The sky soon starts getting dark. Being September, days are getting shorter. The adults keep poking their heads out of the marquee to check on us (one time it was Hades, another time it was Apollo, etc). By 6pm, Nico is exhausted and we've played nearly a hundred rounds of kill-the-monster, so we decide to take a break. We sit on a table cloth from inside the marquee, given to us by Aphrodite when she saw us sat on the damp grass. Thalia and Annabeth are telling me about how they met.

"We met in a park," Thalia says. "I'd run away from Hera because she was getting on my nerves. Annie was there on her own. We met on the swing-set and been best friends since,"

"Then my mom got a job at Thalia's dad's company," says Annabeth. "She's, like, the second-in-command. That's why my mom and I were invited here,"

The conversation continues for a little bit before it diverts to me.

"What did you mean, you only met Thalia today?" Annabeth asks.

"I met my dad about two months ago," I say. "He and my mom were together in high school, but she never told him he was pregnant. My mom died a year ago and social workers found a letter addressed to my dad, and since then I've been seeing him and staying at his house most of the time,"

"Weird. You already act like you've known each other for years,"

I glance down at Nico, who's snoozing against my shoulder. I shift slightly so he's more comfortable and smile, nodding in agreement.

"You two go to school together, right?" Thalia asks.

"Yeah. We've never talked, though," says Annabeth. "You're friends with Grover Underwood, right?"

"Yeah. And Grover's cool," I say defensively, before she can insult him or something like everyone else does.

Annabeth nods. "I know. I used to be friends with him, but then he got that disease in his legs and...well, anyone who hangs out with him now is deemed uncool,"

"I hang out with him," I frown, trying not to get angry.

"Yeah, but...no one will bully you. You'd punch anyone who'd try, like you punched Luke. Plus, you're not a weirdo like me," Annabeth says timidly.

Thalia shakes her head. "You are not a weirdo, Annabeth," she tells her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're just really, really smart. Everyone's really jealous of you, that's all,"

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"I was moved up a grade last year because I'm smarter than other kids," Annabeth explains. "Everyone thinks I'm weird because of it. That's why no one talks to me and I sit on my own most of the time. Plus I'm ADHD and Dyslexic,"

That fact shocks me, but I don't ask and continue to frown. "Yeah, well, when we go back to school on Monday, you're gonna stay with me and Grover at break and lunch. No one will say anything while I'm around,"

Annabeth smiles. "Really?"

"Really. You're cool, Annabeth. Unlike other girls,"

"Hey!" Thalia scoffs, shoving me.

I laugh, telling her that she's cool too. Thalia looks pleased for a second and then looks back at Nico, who grunts in his sleep. Standing, she heads into the marquee. A minute later she comes back out with Hades, Poseidon and Zeus trailing after her. Annabeth helps me get Nico into a proper sitting position so it's easy for Hades to pick him up and tuck him under his chin, holding his son like a baby.

"He rests easy with you," he says in confusion. "That's rather rare. Nico rarely sleeps without me nearby,"

"He's awesome," I say, grinning. "A brilliant hero,"

Nico smiles slightly in his sleep. I guess that being moved woke him up, though he isn't showing it.

"Have you guys been having fun?" Poseidon asks, glancing at Annabeth.

"Loads," I nod. "Annabeth goes my school. We're in the same class and on Monday she's going to sit with me and Grover at break,"

"Is she, now?" a voice says behind the three brothers. I look around Poseidon to see a woman with long black hair and sparkling grey eyes exactly the same as Annabeth's walking towards us.

"Hey, mom," Annabeth says, standing at the woman's side.

"Hi, Athena!" Thalia grins brightly.

The woman, Athena, smiles kindly at my cousin. Her gaze then turns to my dad and I and it becomes stony. "I didn't know you had a child, Poseidon," she says with obvious distaste. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from commenting on her tone.

"Honestly, neither did I, Athena," Poseidon says, hand on my shoulder. "His mother never told me. I only found out about Percy a few weeks ago,"

Athena's lips are pursed, staring at me, as though she doesn't approve. "Percy's my friend, mom," Annabeth says, tugging on her sleeve. "He's nice,"

"Unlike his father," Athena mutters.

"Excuse me?" I quirk an eyebrow.

Poseidon squeezes my shoulder. "Don't," he warns. Athena's glaring at me now. "C'mon, we should go inside. Hephaestus and Aphrodite should be cutting the cake, soon,"

And with that, he steers me inside, Zeus and Thalia behind us, Hades and Nico behind him and Athena and Annabeth bringing up the rear. Indeed, everyone is seated. Poseidon and I sit at a table with his brothers and my two cousins and we watch and clap politely as they go through the whole cutting-the-cake and best-man speech and stuff. I'm not really listening. Thalia challenges me to a game of thumb-war under the table and we're at it for the whole ten minutes. When I finally win the food is being served and I catch Annabeth's eye across the marquee, sat at another table. She mouths, "Sorry," as she nods towards her mom.

"It's alright," I mouth back, smiling, unable to stop myself. Annabeth blushes and looks away pointedly.

We don't get a chance to play again for a few hours. The food comes and we dig in – Hades manages to stir Nico with the pudding and he doesn't fall back to sleep, alerted by the sugar. By 8pm, however, everyone's talking and bustling around again. Thalia, Nico and I slip off to an empty corner of the marquee to play again (as we were no longer allowed outside).

Annabeth isn't allowed to join us as we play duck-duck-goose (Nico insists). It's kind of lame, considering there's only three of us playing, but it keeps little Nico entertained. His nap has restored most of his energy so Thalia and I purposely chose him as the 'goose' every time so that he would burn it off again. Just to save Hades the job of calming him down.

Even I feel myself getting tired eventually. But I don't want to leave. Poseidon said that we'd probably be gone after the food however for the first time in years he seems to be getting along with his family. I can see him chatting with his brothers from across the marquee with a trace of a smile on his face.

Everything is fine, until a man I don't recognise emerges from the crowd and steps into the corner Thalia marked off with chalk. He's tall and rather old, with jet black hair and a pointed beard. His golden brown eyes glint horribly, reminding me of some sinister characters from those horror films my mom used to love watching.

"Hello, children," he says. His voice sends a jolt of ice down my spine.

Thalia freezes for a second before stepping in front of Nico and I. I stare at her in confusion. "G-G-Granddad!" she gasps.

I frown. Granddad? The man chuckles. "Hello again, my dear, Thalia. It's been a while. How is your father?"

Zeus. That must mean this guy is his dad. Poseidon's dad. What did he say about him? His name's Kronos, and apparently he's pure evil.

"What are you doing here?" Thalia demands fiercely. I look around, but no one's noticed us. Nico's cowering behind me.

"Am I not allowed to attend my grandson's wedding?" Kronos asks innocently. His eyes land on Nico behind me. "Oh, Nico, what's the matter?"

Nico's arms wrap around my waist. "Bad man," he mutters to me. "Percy, I want my dad..."

I shush him comfortingly, like I would with the little ones at the children's home. I don't know what else to do however. Kronos, seeing that he isn't going to get a direct answer from the terrified six-year-old, turns to me. "And you must be Percy," he says. "The spawn of that piece of trash my son thought he loved,"

"My mother wasn't trash," I hiss, anger instantly flaring. "And my dad _did_ love her, thank you very much,"

Kronos smirks, tapping his chin. "Oh, that's right – she committed suicide, didn't she? I wonder why,"

I clench my fists. "Well, it's none of your business," I say, not even bothering to ask about how he knew about her. Never mind how he knows my name.

Kronos raises an eyebrow. "Snappy, aren't you?" he asks. "Like your father. And uncles, for that matter..."

"I think you should leave," Thalia says. It was clear she was trying not to let her voice quiver. "My dad doesn't want you here,"

"Oh, yes," Kronos sighs. "Well, I forgot. Oh well. I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Didn't you hear her?" I ask. My eyes scan the marquee again, but still no one has seen Kronos. Part of my brain starts calculating the best escape route in case things turn sour, and luckily I see the perfect beeline towards Poseidon. I just hope I don't have to use it and Kronos will take the hint. I continue, "Don't make us have to get everyone else involved. I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of people here who aren't exactly fond of you, Kronos,"

"I came here for a reason, Percy," Kronos says. His voice is horribly gentle. "I heard about you. I wanted to meet you for myself,"

"And you have. So leave,"

"No...not yet,"

There's a glint in his eyes. I can almost see in his mind all the different things he's thinking up – what ways will be best to cause me pain. What technique would be best to separate me from my father. It makes me shudder.

Kronos pushes past Thalia, who's too scared to say anything, and kneels in front of me. My senses tell me to move back and use my escape route, but I can't. I'm frozen. Plus, Kronos has now blocked the way I was going to go. I plaster an emotionless mask on my face, quirking an eyebrow as Kronos' strange golden eyes bore into mine, as though trying to suss out my darkest secrets. I wonder why none of his children have the same eyes. It's weird – every member of the Olympia family seem to have different coloured irises.

"Been through a lot, haven't you?" Kronos asks.

I don't know why, but something about that know-it-all tone ticks me off. "Oh, please just _sod off_," I can't help but sigh. I meant to say it under my breath, I swear. It comes out louder than I expect.

Regardless, it isn't the right thing to say. Kronos stands, face twisted with fury. I hear Nico's gasp of horror as he hugs me tighter. Thalia scurries to my side and stands behind Nico, creating a barrier around him. Somehow we make a silent agreement – protect little Nico, even if he isn't the one Kronos is talking to.

I expect Kronos to raise his hand and strike me or something, but before he can someone jumps in the way. Zeus. He stares his father down, a few inches taller than him, and hisses what I assume is a threat. Hades appears behind us and pushes Thalia out of the way so that he can sweep his son out of danger. I feel a familiar set of arms wrap around me from behind and pull me away too. My dad grabs Thalia and we huddle together behind him.

"You are not welcome here!" Zeus growls. "Get out! Now! Before I make you,"

"Oh, son of mine..."

"Now," Hades, Poseidon and Zeus all say forcefully.

Kronos bares his strangely pointed teeth at them, however he can obviously see that he's outnumbered. He pushes his way through the crowd that has gathered, leaving the marquee. Zeus tells some of his security guards to make sure he leaves before hugging Thalia.

"Did he say anything to you?" Poseidon asks, sounding frantic, kneeling in front of me.

"Uh, he said he wanted to meet me," I say, blinking away my shock. What just happened? Was the party just gate-crashed by our evil grandfather? Okay, not strange at all..."And made comments about my mom,"

"And what did you say?"

"I...may have told him to sod off,"

Poseidon doesn't seem to know whether or not to be angry at me. Eventually, he settles for a neutral smile that says 'I'm glad you're okay' but also 'next time this happens, I'll whoop your ass' and hugs me. Obviously, the sight of his father talking to me has scared him. I wonder why. All I know about him so far is that he's evil and separated my mom and dad. What about those two facts can scare someone?

"We should leave," Hades says. Nico's trembling in his arms. Clearly, his previous run-in with Kronos hadn't gone well. "It's getting late,"

"Agreed," Poseidon says, arm curling around me. "I'll call you tomorrow, brothers. We must discuss more about this,"

They murmur in agreement. Thalia gives me a quick hug, bump Nico's fist (though he looks half-asleep and teary-eyed) and shoot a smile across the marquee at Annabeth. She looks confused, and worried, but she smiles back anyway. I follow Poseidon out of the marquee and to the car.

Half an hour later, we're home. I don't comment when Poseidon lies on my bed besides me that night. Like last night when I had a nightmare, he tangles a hand in my hair and I quite happily curl up against his chest. Just in case. I mean, you never know when the nightmares might attack.

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><p><strong>...Yup. Chapter 10, ladies and gentlemen! Introducing the main villain of this plot: Kronos!<strong>

**You guys thought Hugh would be the main villain, didn't you? Well, I have plans for Hugh. He'll only appear a few more times in this story, but that'll be it until the sequel. Speaking of which, I'm only one chapter into it :P I need to start working on it, but I'm trying to find the will to do it. You know when you finish a chapter but then can't find the kick-start for the next chapter? Yeah, that's how I feel.**

**So, what are your thoughts on Annabeth? This story isn't Percabeth - well, not completely. There are _hints _of it, as you can see. I mean, Percy's only nine and Annabeth is eight. They're crushing on each other slightly, but that will be it...until the sequel. Sorry, Percabeth fans, but this story is focused on Percy and Poseidon's father/son relationship right now.  
><strong>

**Next update comes Thursday, or maybe Wednesday. It's 00:46 right now, so technically it's Tuesday...meh. Whatever. I'll decide. Please drop a review if you have any ideas or feedback for this chapter. Any way to help improve my writing is welcome, as long as you're _polite_. I hate impolite, snotty reviewers - not that there are any on this story. You guys are so _darn_ nice. I always have a smile on my face when reading the reviews, and I never smile unless I'm around my friends.**

**Damn, why do I keep rambling like this? I physically can't write short paragraphs. In Year 6, I wrote a eleven pages of writing for our short story project. To this day I still can't write short texts. I mean, just look at this! Ugh. I've just had to delete half of it.**

**Well, hope you guys have brilliant days and that you enjoyed this chapter! Bye!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, guys, it's me again. Sorry I'm a little late today. My laptop charger has been broken so, obviously, I haven't been able to write since this morning. I've spent most of the day writing down all the plot ideas I've gathered since Tuesday and I've only just gotten around to updating this. So, yeah, sorry about that.**

**The response was crazy last chapter! I literally checked my phone about an our after updating and had a butt-tonne of reviews, follows and favourites. You guys are awesome! Hopefully, with the this chapter, we'll pass 100 reviews! 100! And we're not even half way through. I can't than you all enough, really. As a result, I'd like to write a one-shot to say thank. Whether it be related to this story or just a random drabble about Percy and/or his dad and family, you guys are welcome to leave suggestions about what you want.**

**Okay, so I'll leave it here for now. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Warnings for hinted child abuse (more to come in further chapters) and swearing. Much love 3**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson.**

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><p>After the incident at the wedding, Poseidon and I decide to play it safe and we spend Sunday at the aquarium. Glimmer will be leaving soon, as she is completely healed up and mature enough to survive on her own in the wild. I don't want her to leave. She's special. I don't think Poseidon wants her to leave either. He seems to be trying to persuade Nereid and Nereus to let her stay here in the aquarium full-time.<p>

Oddly enough, I'm looking forwards to school on Monday. Not because of Annabeth, of course. Because...oh, alright. I'm looking forward to seeing Annabeth. I've never paid her any attention in class and I feel a little bad about it. To my surprise, I spot her as soon as I step on to the yard. She's stood quite off to the side, away from everyone else, with her mother who is bouncing between talking to her and texting or talking to someone, probably business people, on her expensive phone. I smile, and smiles back, giving a small wave so her mom wouldn't notice. I don't think that Athena likes me very much.

Grover flounders over to greet me. He's like my best friend already. Usually, on most mornings, Poseidon will drop me off, say 'hi' Grover and head off to the aquarium. But this morning, he stays with us until the bell goes. Whether it's because Athena is nearby (he explained yesterday that they have a nasty feud going on) or because Kronos crashed the wedding party and he's still freaked out; I don't know.

I explain to Grover in lesson what happened during my weekend. He seems shocked when I mention Kronos but also happy when I mention Annabeth. Break-time just can't come sooner.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth greets as Grover and I walk over to her. She's sat right next to the fence at a picnic bench in the corner of the yard on her own, reading a big, thick book. How she's managing to get through it with Dyslexia and ADHD, I don't know.

"Seaweed Brain?" I repeat, sitting down opposite her. Clearly, Athena has also explained the rivalry between her and my dad and told Annabeth that he works in the aquarium. I roll my eyes, "Surely you can think of any better names than that, Wise Girl,"

Okay, so not my best insult. Still, it does its job. Annabeth flushes, closing her book and stuffing it in her bag. "Hey, Grover," she says, turning to my friend, who looks a little sheepish.

"Annabeth..." he mutters. I motion for him to sit down. We're silent for a few seconds.

"So," Annabeth finally says, wringing her hands. "Who was that guy at the party, Percy? Everyone seemed terrified of him,"

"Kronos," I reply. "My grandfather. My dad says he's evil,"

"Then what was he doing at the wedding? Was he invited?"

"Hell no - he slipped in when no one was watching. He came over to speak to me, Thalia and Nico, who are his youngest grandchildren. I reckon he just wanted to scare us,"

_He certainly succeeded._

"Your dad and uncles looked terrified too," Annabeth muses.

"He wasn't a good father to them," I explain, but I don't want to go into any more detail. Mainly because I don't _know_ any more than that. "So, um, Grover..."

I turn to my best friend, relying on him to start a conversation. Thankfully, he does, and soon we're talking about Annabeth's family and what she's been doing the past year. She says that she lives with her mom, who's usually too busy to see her, and moved out of her dad's a few months ago because he ignored her too. However living with her mom is much better.

The bell goes. I notice a couple of kids giving Annabeth, Grover and I weird looks. I glare at them and they quickly back off. I don't know why, but I'm always very protective of the few friends I make in different schools. And now, in this school, I'm very protective of Annabeth and Grover in particular; Grover because he's got a disease that he can't help and Annabeth because she's smarter than any of these goons. They both get shit for it, and it really pisses me off. I don't know why I'm like this, but whatever...

Hestia picks me up after school because Poseidon is still in a conference at the aquarium. He says that he might have to go on a business trip soon - great. We arrive at my house and Hestia helps me with my homework. It's nice. I feel like I'm part of an actual family when Poseidon arrives home and Hestia cooks dinner for us both. I guess this is how regular kids live, and of course that makes me happy.

But, of course, something changes that.

Recently, my dad and I have been forgetting one important thing.

The children's home.

I haven't been there in weeks. Every couple of days Miss Martha will text, asking how I am, and Poseidon will reply saying I'm fine and things like that, giving her an update on what I've been doing. A week after the wedding, we get another text. But it's different to the others. Miss Martha says that I still have quite a few belongings back at the home. Well, Poseidon and I don't think there's anything weird about heading back to the children's home to collect them. So we do.

It's gloomier there than I remember. "Geez, has it always looked like this?" I ask Poseidon, looking up at the home. Aren't kid's homes meant to be cheerful?

"Unfortunately," he replies, stopping the car. "C'mon, let's be quick about this. Some baby penguins are learning to swim today and I promised we'd help,"

We climb out of the car and head inside. We were greeted by one of the girls – I've forgotten her name, but she's the one that always chews gum. She doesn't even glance up from her phone before letting us in. _Geez, we could be kiddie-fiddlers for all she knows!_

Miss Martha was expecting us, obviously. She smiles at Poseidon and I. "Hello, Percy," she greets. "And Poseidon. My, it's been a while,"

"Only a month," I say lightly.

"We've just come to collect some of Percy's things," says Poseidon, hand on my shoulder as usual.

"Of course," Miss Martha nods. "Percy, if you don't mind, why don't you go and pack up your things. I'd like to have an important word with your father,"

My face falls, "But-,"

"Do as you're told, Percy," Poseidon says, nudging me towards the stairs. I huff, but sprint up them. I reach my old room in the loft within a matter of seconds and find an old backpack under my bed. I want to hurry up so I can listen in on the adults, but I know anyway that I'm not going to get a part in their conversation. I stuff what is left of my belongings into the backpack and head out of the loft. Was it always that freezing in there?

I purposely walk past one of the bedrooms on my way back down stairs. Little Gracie's. Miss Martha said that she was fostered last week and even sent a picture of her with a smiling older couple. Her small bed is empty and perfectly made when I stick my head in. I wonder when I'll next see her, because I sure as hell miss her, and she probably misses me. I'll ask Miss Martha when I get downstairs.

"All done?" Poseidon asks, looking over at me as I jump the last five steps. His face is a little pale and he looks nervous, I note.

"All done," I confirm, glancing between him and Miss Martha. She's still smiling.

"Well, we best get going, then," Poseidon says, leading me towards the front door.

"It was lovely to see you again, Percy," Miss Martha says as we step out of the door. "I hope that you get back to me soon, Poseidon,"

"I will. Thank you,"

And with that, the door closes. Wow. I didn't even get a chance to inquire about Gracie. Oh well, maybe another time. I'm sure that Gracie is happy wherever she is anyway.

"What did you talk about?" I ask instantly, looking up at my father curiously.

"Nothing," he replies.

"Doesn't seem like nothing,"

"It wasn't important, Percy. Don't worry. C'mon, or Nereus will have my neck,"

"You _own_ the aquarium, shouldn't you have his neck for having your neck...?"

We return home that evening and what Miss Martha spoke to Poseidon about is still playing on my mind. I can't help it. I'm naturally curious and it literally kills me not knowing things. Plus, it seems to be bothering Poseidon. I plan on badgering him about it after dinner, but it seems that I don't have to.

"Hey, Perce, come here for a minute," Poseidon says, motioning me over to the sofa. I sit next to him as I'm told, and try not to raise an eyebrow as he puts his arm around my shoulders. Okay, so maybe he's a little more nervous than I thought he was. I lean in anyway, hoping that the movement comforts him.

"What's up?" I ask after a couple of seconds of silnence, looking up at him.

"I've been thinking about what Miss Martha and I spoke about,"

I perk up instantly. "Was it important?" I question. Poseidon nods, still looking nervous. "Did it involve me?" he nods again. Now I start to get nervous too. "Was it...was it something bad?"

At this, Poseidon shakes his head. "No, it wasn't," he says. "It's...well, in my opinion it's not,"

I'm not sure what to say. I stare at him expectantly. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

Poseidon hesitates. "Miss Martha said that you've been staying with me for a while now," he says. "Over a month. Apparently, this sort of classifies as you living with me. Meaning, this is your home,"

"Well, yeah," I say, nodding. "I know that,"

"Yeah, but...well, it's not written down on paperwork. According to the government, you live at the children's home and Miss Martha is your guardian," Poseidon continues. "I don't have any parental rights over you except seeing you at the moment. Miss Martha basically said that I should get custody of you,"

I pause for a second, letting the information sink in. This is why he's nervous? Because Miss Martha said he should adopt me? What, does he not want to or something? Has the request caused him to, I don't know, rethink the whole 'having a son' thing?

"But if you get custody of me, its forever," I say, hoping I don't sound too out of the ordinary. "There'll be no going back if you get sick of me,"

I regret the words instantly.

Hurt flashes on Poseidon's face. "I won't get sick of you," he says seriously, running a hand through my hair. I feel like Nico as I wrap an arm around his stomach. My cheeks flush when I realise I'm copying a six year old, but I don't move. "Not ever," Poseidon continues. "But I wanted to ask you first whether you want to actually move in here. I wasn't sure how you'd take it,"

Wait, so he's not decided that he doesn't want me? He's worried that _I_ don't want _him_? My gods, is he blind or something? I feel my heart rate steady again when this fact sinks in. Poseidon _does_ want me. I really need to work on my trust issues.

"I want to live with you," I say quietly. Again, Hugh's voice enters my mind, sending a shiver coursing down my spine. "I'd probably be miserable anywhere else. I'm just worried what might happen if I do...y'know..." _trust you_.

"What do you mean?"

I purse my lips. "Some things are hard to forget," I say after a moment of thought. The marks on my back tingle uncomfortably.

"Like Hugh?" Poseidon asks. I don't reply, but it's still clear to Poseidon. He sighs and pulls me closer. "You don't have to worry about him any more, Percy. The things he told you – they're lies. People do love you. Hestia does. Thalia and Nico do and they've only known you for a week. Even me,"

My lungs momentarily stop working. "You do?" I ask.

Poseidon rests his cheek on my head and nods. I resist the urge to my face into his shoulder, my other arm wrapping around him, my emotions completely taking over. I've never heard someone say that to me before – even though the words weren't completely direct. They're practically foreign words. I don't remember my mom ever saying them, and according to Poseidon, she loved me _a lot_.

"So, does this mean you'll be okay with being put in my custody?" Poseidon mutters after a few seconds.

I nod. "Yeah," I reply, hoping that I don't sound ridiculously choked up. "Thanks, dad,"

Poseidon strokes my hair and I can feel his chest swelling with an emotion similar to mine. "You're my son," he says. "This is my job,"

"You're pretty good at it,"

"Good...you do know that you're never gonna leave, now, right?"

I pull away enough to be able to look at him, pretty sure that my eyes are watery. I blink them rapidly before he can notice. "I can live with that," I grin.

Poseidon rolls his eyes, pulling me close again. "Thank god. That could have gotten awkward pretty fast,"

I laugh and settle myself a little more comfortably at Poseidon's side. He keeps his hand in my hair whilst I rest my head on his shoulder. We're silent for a while. Poseidon texts with his other hand – I think he sends a message to Miss Martha, telling her that she should get the papers ready. Then he messages Hestia, Zeus and Hades, probably telling them, too. I still can't believe it. Poseidon wants to _adopt_ me. Meaning, I'll live with him until I'm eighteen, and he'll be registered as my legal father - blood and all.

I eventually ask for the TV to be put on. Poseidon switches on Netflix and I persuade him into begin watching the entire Modern Family series. I have a feeling this might become a thing...relaxing on the sofa, laughing at a different episode every night. I can live with this. It's nice.

Eventually, I feel my eyelids getting heavy. It isn't even late. I fall asleep there, on the sofa. I think I know now why I couldn't sleep at the children's home. It's because I didn't feel right. I wasn't comfortable. The only place I would manage to nap was on the roof, watching the moon, or with Gracie. The first night I spent here at Poseidon's I didn't wake up until the morning. I didn't have nightmares for weeks.

I vaguely feel Poseidon shifting beneath me – one minute, there's his lap. The next second it's gone and I'm being carried by two strong arms. Almost effortlessly, judging by how smooth it is. A few seconds later, I feel something soft beneath me. My bed. I hardly need help sliding under the covers and burrowing into the pillow.

A hand slides through my hair. Something soft presses to my forehead. I hear a whisper, but I'm too deeply asleep to hear it properly. I sort of have an idea about what it said however. And I mutter it back.

The hand slides through my hair again before vanishing.

Somehow, I know that this is how things are meant to be. How they were always meant to be. How they should have been. If it hadn't been for Kronos, maybe my life would have been like this from when I was young. With Poseidon putting me to bed every night and taking care of me...except with mom at his side. Maybe I'd have other siblings. Maybe I'd have grown up normally _without_ physical reminders of my past. Or maybe not.

I don't know what would have happened if Kronos hadn't gotten involved. Yet despite all the pain I've been through to go here, I like the way my life seems to be heading. I've got a feeling that any other way and I would have never felt compassion like this.

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><p><strong>Again, I totally had to tone down the fluff in this chapter. I don't know whether I keep asking this, but should I? I mean, I don't want to be taking the story too fast - I want it to be realistic but downright cute at the same time. I, personally, have never had any experience with cuddling or kissing or family-fluff stuff. The most compassion I show is not punching my step-mum when she gives me a kiss on Christmas and Mother's Day. Don't judge. My best friends says I have trust issues and need to see a therapist -_-<strong>

**By the way, a reviewer asked why does Percy swear so much? I can confirm that it's because he grew up in a non-child-friendly environment and picked up on the language. Just like I did. The moment I entered high school - you don't even wanna know. And a quick run-down on something I said in the last chapter - in England we call pounds 'quid' just like you Americans call dollars 'bucks'. And we all say 'tenner' rather than £10 and 'fiver' rather than £5. At least from where I come from we do.**

**Oh! And another reviewer asked if I have met my 'male-me'? That's an interesting question. To be honest, there is this one guy who I used to have a crush on who is kinda quiet and awkward around me, but now he just pisses me off because I liked him...yeah. I have two friends, Connor and Alex, who I get along with well in school. We like similar things (Alex is a computer geek' Connor likes drawing and TheSyndicateProject). And there's my Uncle Richard. We drive my aunt mad with how I'm a mini-female-version of him. But that's it really. I wonder what it would be like to find a male me...to be honest, I dress like a dude most of the time. Baggy hoodies, jeans and trainers. I always wear my hood up and keep my head down so no one will recognise me.**

**Okay, so that was long. I'm sorry again for babbling. Leave a review, favourite, follow and have a nice day! Yamas! (That means 'cheers' in Greek...I went to Rhodes on my last holiday). XD**


	12. Chapter 12

**Am I late? I'm pretty sure this chapter is late. Whoops. Sorry if it is.**

**Anyway, I'm here, and I have chapter 12. A reviewer asked me whether Percy and Poseidon can have an argument - so, here it is. They do have an argument in a future chapter, but it's so far away that I decided to add two extra chapters in here and I've deleted that other argument. I'm not very good at writing arguments. One) I never have serious arguments with anyone. When people argue (aka, my best friends) I'm always in the middle of it. It's been that way for...about seven years. Two) I totally prefer it when characters just get along. I can never have them be mad at each other for long :(**

**So, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed and added this story to favourites. We're on 100 reviews, which is awesome! I'm still trying to think of a good plot for my one-shot, but nothing original has come to mind yet. I hope this chapter is up to your expectations.**

**Warning for hinted child abuse...yeah.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>The custody papers are ready within a week, but Poseidon says that he wants to wait until my birthday (October 18th) to sign them and make it official. I'm his. At this moment in time, it's early October, so we have just over two weeks until then. I can't wait. Surprisingly, Zeus and Hades are backing us up along with Hestia. Poseidon says that he can't believe his brothers' support. Usually, they have nothing to do with him.<p>

Poseidon and I have been getting along well, as you can tell. I'm almost completely used to being touched, so long as I'm not snuck up on and the touch isn't painful. I don't flinch like I used to when someone stands close. I've even managed to forget my past on occasions – mainly when we're watching Modern Family and laughing and joking. But despite this, I've become careless with hiding it all from Poseidon.

I mean, I was always very careful when sitting in the pool with Glimmer. I always make sure that no one is looking when I take off my shirt and quickly slide into the water. And Poseidon is never in the room when I'm changing, obviously. The marks are, usually, hidden. I'd hoped when Poseidon asked if he was okay with him adopting me that I could keep them hidden forever. But my mind wanders and I forget things – even the marks.

"Dad," I say as I walk into the kitchen, hair wet from the shower and shirtless. "Have you seen my green shirt anywhere? I can't find it,"

Poseidon glances over at me briefly. "Check in the dryer," he says whilst he flips the bacon for lunch. It's Sunday – our day off. We slept in late, and later we're probably going to head over to the aquarium.

I kneel down and open the dryer, rummaging through it for my favourite green shirt. It should be in here – I put it in the wash basket two days ago. And I really want to wear my favourite shirt today. It's so big and oversized and cosy; I've had it for years and it will probably keep fitting me until I'm around sixteen.

As I search through the dried off clothes, my annoyance quickly increases. Where is it? I bite back a growl of frustration, about to turn to Poseidon to ask him for guidance, when his voice rings out.

"Percy? What are those marks on your back?"

I stiffen. A cold feeling of dread washes over me as I realise my _stupid_ mistake. I came downstairs without a shirt on after showering. My back – the marks on my back are completely visible.

I grab the first shirt of mine that I see – an old red one – and throw it on hastily, jumping to my feet. Poseidon is staring at me, his expression somewhere between curiosity, worry and...and anger? Oh no.

"Nothing," I say, gulping. "Uh, what marks?"

Poseidon stares me down, as though saying, 'you're know what marks...'. I feel sweat on the back of my neck.

"Percy," Poseidon says again. "Take off the shirt,"

Panic replaces the dread. My heart hammers so fast against my ribcage it's almost painful. "No," I say, trying to slip past him and get to the stairs . "I mean...there's nothing to see,"

"Oh, that's funny. I swear I saw scars on your back. Did you, I don't know, shred it open one time?"

_How sensitive, dad, really_, I grumble mentally. "Don't be stupid," I tell him. "I don't have any scars on my back. I think I'd know if I did,"

Usually, I'm an 'okay' liar. To anyone other than Poseidon, I'd sound believable right now. But he knows me too well and is even more stubborn as I am. Unfortunately, he knows what he saw. "You know I'm not going to fall for that. Take off the shirt and show me the marks, please,"

I curse in my head. "There are no marks," I say again, this time firmer.

"Yes, there are. I saw them,"

Okay, so he's certain about it. Great. I wipe the sweat on my palms on my pants and my eyes dart around the room. So – I have about three seconds to think of a good, workable plan. Poseidon is stood a little in the way of the doorway, meaning that I'll have to be quick to slide past him. Two seconds left. Maybe I can think of a good excuse for the marks? I was attacked by a rabid family of squirrels. No, that's ridiculous and completely unbelievable. One second left. I can't think of an excuse in that time! Ugh...time's up.

"Percy," says Poseidon. He doesn't sound very firm anymore. "Please. Where are the marks from?"

I edge to the side casually, hoping to slip around him. "Nowhere," I say. "I...they're birth marks,"

_Oh,_ _wow...I've officially reached an all-time low. Someone kill me now..._

"Then why don't you want to show me them?"

"Because...they're embarrassing," I keep edging around Poseidon, hoping that the conversation will distract him. I know that he doesn't believe me, but at least he'll focus on not believing me rather than my slow attempt at escape. "I'm self-conscious,"

"You don't have to be embarrassed in front of me, Percy," says Poseidon. He kneels down in front of me and holds my wrists – he doesn't necessarily grab them, but he sends a pretty clear message; 'you're not leaving until I get a truthful answer'. So there's my escape plan out of the window. _Ugghh..._

What the hell am I mean to do? Tell him where the scars come from? Break down and cry and tell him the entire truth about my past? I can't do that. I may trust Poseidon, but not that much – not yet, at least. So if I don't tell him, what should I do? Only one option sticks out in my mind, and it's not necessarily a good option either. I swallow back the lump in my throat and throw away what little of my sense I still have.

"Yeah, well, tough," I say, tugging my wrists out of his grip. A snarl curls up my lips. "They're just _marks_, Poseidon. Why do you care?"

"Because you're my son," Poseidon's tone has turned stony to match my own. "And I have the right to care – those 'birth marks' look suspiciously like scars-,"

My face turns red with anger. "Well they're not!"

"Well, they are," Poseidon retorts.

I glare at Poseidon, and he glares back. I've annoyed him, that's for sure. And he's annoyed me with his stupid comebacks. I try my hardest to keep looking mad – to hide my true emotions. Inside, I feel like crying. I _want_ to tell him, but what will happen when I do? Will he laugh and tell me I'm weak or something? Will he suddenly find my past too much for him to handle and take me back to the children's home? I can't let that happen. I've finally found a home, and if I lose it...

I feel myself trembling. Luckily, I think that Poseidon takes it as me trembling from anger, because his glare deepens.

"Show me the scars, Percy," he says, his voice calm but not exactly soothing. I can hear the frustration in his voice, as well as...worry. Plead. Fear? _Fear_? Why is he afraid of the scars? It's not like they affect him – only me. That doesn't make any sense.

"No," I say, forcing all the anger I can into my voice. Anger is the only way I can hide the truth right now. I back up a few steps. "No. Why should I?"

"Because, I-,"

Alarm bells ring in my head when I see the gap between him and the door. _Now! __Now's the time to run! Double time, Percy, DOUBLE TIME!_

I don't listen to him finish. I turn and make my escape while he's in the middle of his sentence. I sprint to the hall, wrench open the front door, and run down the drive and out of the garden. I can hear Poseidon shouting behind me, telling me to come back whilst cursing in annoyance. I ignore him, on the verge of panic. Wait, never mind. I _am_ panicking. Oxygen refuses to enter my lungs as I sprint as fast as I can, sending black spots dancing across my vision.

I'm fast, that's for sure. I've always been a fast runner – you sort of have to be when you spend your life trying to escape...everything, really. Within a few minutes, I know that Poseidon has lost me. As well as fast, I'm skinny and good at hiding, just like I demonstrated at the wedding two weeks ago.

Poseidon runs right past me when I dive into a clump of shrubs besides the road. I stay sat in the shrubs for a few seconds, trying to regain my breath and stop my head from spinning. Once I'm sure that Poseidon is far enough away, I stand and run the way I came. I don't go back to the house and instead make a detour for the beach.

When I finally collapse on the surf, everything registers. I realise that there are tears streaming down my cheeks. When did I start crying? _Why_ am I crying? The soles of my feet are scraped and cut from running barefoot – I never put any shoes on before I left the house. The cold air is biting at my skin uncomfortably, creating goosebumps all up my arms and legs. I'd forgotten a coat, too.

The anger I'd summoned to get out of that situation evaporates. I glance around, ears perked for any sound of Poseidon. Nothing. I'm alone. Without wasting another second, I break down.

I pull my knees to my chest and hide my face in them, shoulders instantly shaking with sobs. I have flashbacks – too many to count. I remember how I got each and every scar, and the pain that came with them. The marks on my back tingle with the memories, causing me to wince as though the belt is actually being brought down on it.

_Why didn't I just tell him_? I wonder, still trying to control my breathing, but I'm pretty sure that I'm still panicking, judging by how light my head is. Like, having a panic attack. _He could have helped. He wouldn't have laughed or taken me back to the children's home. Why did I panic? Why did I..._

I can't find answers to any of the questions that come. More flashbacks. There are more scars on my body that just the ones on my back. They litter my chest, arms, legs and even my fact. They're just most prominent on my back. Why didn't I hide them? Why was I so stupid?

I don't know how long I'm sat on the beach, but it's long enough for my feet to go numb in the cold surf. When I think that I can finally breathe again, I hear a voice. "Percy!"

My head whips around and I see Poseidon jogging over. His expression is a mixture of pure concern and relief. He's closer than I expect, and he reaches me before I can stand and rush off again. He drops to his knees besides me and surprises me with a hug.

"You idiot!" he scolds. "What do you think you were doing, running off like that? Anything could have happened to you...!"

I fight against him. I try to push myself out of his grip, but Poseidon's hug is strong. My breathing accelerates again and he pulls away enough to look at my face.

"Percy," he says, sounding worried again. "Calm down. Slow breaths,"

"Let me go," I say, still fighting against him. I go as far as banging my fist against his chest. I can't help it – I know what I'm doing is stupid, but it reminds me so much of Hugh, my body won't listen to my brain's commands.

Poseidon clearly doesn't know what to do. He goes to hug me again, but decides against it. Instead he cups my face in his hands gently. "Calm down," he says slowly. "I think you're having a panic attack, Percy. I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to talk,"

"No!" I shout through sobs. I try to pull away but he grabs my shoulders to keep me sat down. "Let me go! Please!"

"Percy-,"

"I won't do anything wrong again, I promise! Let me go-,"

"Percy, it's me-,"

"I'm sorry, don't hurt me-,"

"Percy!" Poseidon yells, snapping me out of my memories. "Calm! Down!"

I freeze in place, breathing in and out deeply. I blink, taking in his face – the face that I'd thought, for a second, was Hugh's. Somehow, I manage to slow my breathing down and come to my senses. I realise what I'd said – what had just happened. The past few seconds, I haven't even been in the present. I've been in the past. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

"Dad?" I ask, voice shaky and tearful. Poseidon sighs as I tackle him in a hug, holding me tightly with relief.

"Are you okay?" he asks quietly.

"I'm sorry," I mutter, ignoring his question. To be honest, I don't know the answer. "I...th-that wasn't suppose to happen,"

He strokes my hair. "I noticed," Poseidon replies. "Thanks for the bruised chest, by the way,"

I blush and hide my face in his neck. I keep regulating my breathing, and we stay like that for a few minutes. Finally, Poseidon pulls away and looks at my face.

"What was that about?" he asks. "You sounded like you didn't recognise me,"

I'm silent. I don't say anything, looking down in shame. Poseidon runs a hand through my hair. "Percy, talk to me..."

_I don't want to,_ I think. _I've never talked to anyone about this..._

I'm still silent. Then, finally, after a few seconds, I tell him the truth.

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><p><strong>:( The more I think about it, the more I feel ashamed about this chapter. I hate having characters fight. I couldn't stand making Percy and Poseidon be angry at each other for long. I know they should have, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Please don't hate me. It's just how I am.<strong>

**I've _definitely_ never had experience with child abuse, so just hang with me for a second. I'm trying to make Percy's thoughts and feelings and actions as realistic as possible. Writing his thoughts is the easiest, because I'm basing them off mine and how I think. So yeah...you guys are basically getting a look inside my brain and how it works. I wonder what my friends would think if they read this...I would probably have to bury myself :P****  
><strong>

**Oh, as you can tell, I've changed Percy's birthday. In the book it's on August 18th, but I've moved it to October 18th instead. Has anyone else seen the flaw in Percy's birthday? Poseidon and Sally met in the summer - so about June, July-ish, and Percy was born in August. O.o Wat? Was he in the womb for like two months or something? I dunno. Someone tell me I'm right, or I'm going to feel really stupid...it was August 18th, right?**

**Anyway, I'll leave it at that. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's given you a bit more of an insight on Percy's past...I've noticed that I've hinted sexual abuse in the past. Now, I don't know about you guys, but that is definitely something that I do not want to write about because it's just so horrible. So I've just hinted it instead...ew. I feel mean on Percy.**

**Okay, I'm definitely going now. Leave a review; follow and favourite. I'll see you on Wednesday! (I've marked it down on my calender...)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, guys, I'm back - a little late, again, but for those of you who don't know - tonight is 'Bonfire Night' in the UK. I don't know whether they have it in America, but it's basically a holiday celebrating Guy Fawke's failed attempt to blow up Parliament. And let me tell you; it's been an interesting night. I was nearly skewered by the remains of a rocket, our fence set on fire and a firework fell apart - sending sparks in every direction and burning the front of my little sister's shirt. Today's been _very_ interesting.**

**I'm back in school, too, so updates are guaranteed to come late. I kind of left you guys at a cliffhanger last chapter, so I won't talk any longer. Hope you enjoy this chapter - thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Warnings for: Mentions of child abuse as well as details, and maybe some swearing. You have been warned. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>"I panicked," I say glumly. "I...I was somewhere else for a few seconds. Reliving a few memories,"<p>

Poseidon's face is pale. He isn't dumb – he's piecing it together. "Why did you freak out at home?" he asks. "Why...why wouldn't you just show me your back, Percy? You know I wouldn't have hurt you,"

I don't know what to say. I bite my lip and wipe away a few more tears. "I know that. I...I don't know why I didn't show you," I admit, cursing mentally when I hear the state of my voice. "I wanted to show you...but I couldn't. I panicked. I-I had to run-,"

"Careful," Poseidon interrupts before my heart can start racing once more. "Don't panic on me again. That was scary,"

I can see by the look on his face that he's telling the truth. "Sorry," I say with a sigh. "For panicking, I mean. And running away. And hitting you when you were trying to help. And...everything else,"

Poseidon is quiet for a few seconds, like he's thinking about something.

"You don't have to show me your back," he says after a while. His voice is heavy with guilt. "Not if you're uncomfortable with it. I just saw the, uh, things on your back and I had to know where they came from,"

I shrug, head down. "You had a point, I guess. There are marks there; I'd have been curious too,"

"There are...marks?" Poseidon repeats, gulping. It's like he doesn't want to believe it. "As in scars?"

I nod hollowly.

"...Please tell me that they were from a pack of rabid squirrels,"

I manage a small smile. "That was one of the excuses I was tempted to use," I say with a light chuckle. "No, they're not from squirrels. I think you know what they're from, don't you?"

"I don't want to believe it," says Poseidon, confirming my suspicions.

We're still for a few seconds. I move away from Poseidon, who's had his arm wrapped around my shoulders for the past few minutes, and tug off my shirt. I want nothing more than to throw it back on because it's so ridiculously cold, but I turn around anyway so my back is facing him and rest my chin on my knees.

"Percy..." Poseidon breathes. "Are these...?"

"Welts," I nod. "From belts. And...other things. These aren't the only marks,"

I feel his hands brush them delicately. My eyes sting with more tears and I hold back a sob. The memories – they're too much. And telling someone for the first time in years...it's making me go into another panic mode. Poseidon only looks at my back for a few seconds before pulling me into another hug.

"Who did this?" he asks quietly.

"A...A few people," I reply.

"Who? I want their names,"

I hesitate. What will happen when I tell Poseidon the names of mom's boyfriends who did this to me? There are a lot of them. Most of them did more than just whip me with a belt. I feel the urge to run away again, but I stay still and silent.

"Percy," Poseidon says again. "Tell me at least one name. Who...caused the most damage?"

"Hugh," I whisper, so quiet even I almost didn't hear it. His hug reminds me of him somehow, except Poseidon's is more comforting and nice. Whereas Hugh's...well, let's just say those are memories that I _never_ want to think about. More than any. "Hugh...he did a majority of it, I guess. I did know him longest,"

Poseidon stiffens. He holds me tighter. I guess he's remembering what happened in the bathroom at the aquarium a few weeks ago – how Hugh had me pinned against the wall. How differently would that have ended if Poseidon had known what Hugh did to me in the past?

For about five minutes, we're both silent.

"He's going to pay," Poseidon promises eventually.

"No," I say weakly. _Don't panic, don't panic..._I think in my head. "Dad, don't. Please don't. If you march up to him and demand why he hit me, he'll do something to you-,"

"Like hit me?" Poseidon interrupts, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You think that he'll try and hit me, Percy?"

No, probably not. Poseidon is tall and strong. Very strong, even though he doesn't quite look it. He has a glare that can make anyone want to shrink into a tortoise shell and never emerge. If anyone ever tries to hit him...well, I pity them. I manage a small shrug, despite my shaking shoulders.

"He can't just get away with doing this to you, Percy," Poseidon tells me. "None of them can. You understand that, don't you?"

"But if you do, they'll get angry," I protest. The walls I'd built years ago completely crumble. I sound like a baby; my voice is so shaky and broken from crying. But I don't care, really. "They'll...they'll find me. They'll hit me again-," All my fears are resurfacing. I wonder what it's like for Poseidon to listen to me admit them. It must be pretty disturbing – whilst he was living his life, managing his aquarium, the son he didn't know was being abused. As much as I hate to admit it, if I were in his place, I'd feel like crying for my child and punishing whoever was responsible.

"No, they won't," Poseidon says. I realise that I've started panicking again. _God damn it!_ "They're never going to hurt you again, Percy. Not while I'm around – and I'm not going to let them go unpunished,"

I shake my head. "You can't," I repeat. "Please, dad..."

Poseidon huffs, running a hand through his hair as he thinks the matter through. He knows how stubborn I am. I'm not backing down from this.

"Fine," he says after a couple of seconds. "I won't...I won't get him in trouble for hurting you. I'll get him in trouble for something else, alright? That's my compromise,"

"I guess," I say. It's clear that he's not going any less than that. Hugh is going to jail whether I want him to or not. And to be honest, I do want him in jail. He deserves it.

Poseidon's fingers brush the marks on my back again, sending a tremor down my spine. He seems to only just realise how low the temperature is. "Put your shirt back on," he commands, handing me the red shirt. Then he helps me to my feet and wraps a steadying arm around my shoulders. "Let's go home, alright? You're going to get ill,"

"I'm fine," I protest as we walk, stumbling. I wince in pain – my feet are both numb from sitting in the cold sea and my soles are hurting horribly from all the scrapes and cuts I received from running barefoot. Poseidon seems to notice and kneels down, his back facing me.

"On my back, c'mon," he says. I don't have much of a choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and let him haul me on to his back. Poseidon stands and starts to walk. I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh in exhaustion. Getting angry, running away, crying and admitting some of your deepest fears can be very tiring.

"I'm fine," I mutter again, mainly out of instinct.

"You don't look it," says Poseidon, glancing at me over his shoulder. "As soon as we get home, you're going to bed,"

_Sound's good_, I think sleepily. My mind is so thick with sudden exhaustion I can't find the will to protest.

We're back at the house within a few minutes. Poseidon carries me up the stairs on his back and drops me on to the bed.

"Under the blankets," he orders. "You need to warm up,"

I do as I'm told, aware that I'm shivering badly. It's not a necessarily warm day today, especially on the coast, and sitting with my feet in the sea wearing just a t-shirt isn't a very good idea. I seriously need to start wearing a coat more often.

Poseidon sits on the edge of the bed. He places a hand on my forehead. "You need to stay under the blankets for a while," he tells me. "Couldn't you have grabbed a coat and some shoes before you ran away?"

"But that would have ruined the dramatic effect," I joke weakly, eyes half closed. Poseidon doesn't smile, but he seems relieved that I still have my humour. We fall silent.

I want to, but I don't fall asleep. I can't. Not after thinking about my past so much – my mind is going haywire. I'm exhausted, but all I want to do is run around and cool down my ADHD brain. I close my eyes and Poseidon's hand brushes my hair. It's so relaxing...but still, I won't fall asleep.

"Can we watch a movie or something?" I ask after about ten minutes. "I can't sleep,"

I expect Poseidon to tell me I need to go to sleep anyway, but instead he nods.

"Yeah," he says. "Why don't we go downstairs – so long as you stay in the blanket and rest, I don't mind,"

I swaddle myself in the blanket and stumble back down the stairs. I collapse on the sofa at Poseidon's side and he turns on the TV.

"I'm sorry again," I say. "I shouldn't have ran,"

"I understand," Poseidon replies. "When I was young, I was a lot like you. I'd hate it when people tried to ask me things like how I feel, stuff like that. I was a moody teenager from the age of five,"

"I'm not a moody teenager," I say, sticking out my bottom lip in a half-hearted pout. Now that I'm warm again, I don't feel quite as bad.

"No, but you're defensive," Poseidon corrects. "I'd react exactly the same as you did when people tried to press me. Don't worry – so long as you don't run away like that again, we'll forget this, alright?"

I nod. Poseidon says that we'll just 'forget this' – meaning, we'll forget the whole argument and move on, back to our old relationship where everything is communicated through jokes and insult. But I can tell that he also means a bit more than that. He means forget the past.

For him, that will be easy. He doesn't know the whole truth. He'll never know the entire story. Most of all, he was never the victim, and because of that it will be easy for Poseidon to forget. I, however, was the victim. My past has been branded into my mind like a hot iron; creating a scar that will never fade. Most of the time, I can hide it beneath piles of humour and what few happy memories I have, and I can just about live a normal life. But the memories have always come back to bite me, no matter what – and they always will.

"Forget," I confirm. For Poseidon, I'll try. The last thing he probably wants is a messed-up son with a screwed-up past constantly breaking down in tears and stuff. I know that there will be more events like this where I run away. Poseidon will want to know more in the future. Maybe I'll give him answers. I don't know.

But that isn't something for us to worry about now. That doesn't matter. What matters to me now is what Modern Family episode we should watch, and how ill I'm going to be by tomorrow. Again; sitting on the beach in early-October with only a t-shirt and pants is _not_ a good idea. I'll add that to my list later.

By the looks of it, I'm going to be very ill tomorrow. When I drift into a light sleep, my head is spinning and pounding horribly. My empty stomach is twisting painfully with a growing stomach ache. I cough and sneeze a few times and I can feel my temperature rising rapidly. I hide it from Poseidon, however. We've both had enough drama for today.

"Do you want to go to bed yet?" Poseidon asks when my eyes open after a few hours of napping and watching TV.

"Sure," I say, ignoring the fact that it's barely six o'clock. Only four hours ago (has it really been four hours?) we were waking up and cooking our late breakfast/lunch. That sounds ridiculous.

I head up to my room, Poseidon trailing behind me. When I lie down on the bed, I'm almost instantly overcome by sleep. I want to fight it, but it's hold is too strong.

"If you need me, you know where I am," says Poseidon. He's talking about if I have a nightmare – which is likely – but to be honest that isn't my biggest worry at this moment in time. I can feel my new illness getting worse with every second. Usually, my immune system is strong. I don't get ill easily. But this...well, now that I've caught the common cold, all over kinds of horrible viruses and illnesses are sneaking up on me. When I get ill: I get _ill_.

"Sure," I mutter, yawning. My throat itches and I cough a few times. "G'night,"

Poseidon's hand brushes my hair, and then he leaves. My stomach twists and I curl up into a ball. This has happened to me before – when I was little I caught a cold from playing outside in the rain. Somehow, that lead to me getting really ill. I was stuck in bed for two days, with my throat ripping itself to shreds, my head throbbing like someone was trying to break out of it and my insides leaving my body through my mouth.

I roll over with a silent groan. If my day hasn't already been terrible, it's going to get a whole lot worse.

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><p><strong>Okay, I know - I'm being a total bitch to Percy. He's had a really bad past and here I am, making him relive it and dropping a nasty illness on him. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't very well written...I mean, I'm kinda in a rush to finish it and get it updated, because there are loads of other things I need to do. I'm aware that this chapter was shorter than usual sort of a filler... but it's going to get more interesting, I promise. Chapter 15 ;)<strong>

**I don't have much to say now. The fact that Percy is ill is, again, based off of me. I rarely get ill, however when I do, I get quite badly ill. It happens once a year, maybe less. So basically that's what happening to Percy...yeh.**

**My family, by the way, is killing me. My birthday is next month (December 7th), and everyone knows that I'm doing for it - except for me. My parents, brother sister - even my best friend all know! And they won't tell me! I could kill them, seriously! I can't _stand_ not knowing things! I've done all I can to get them to tell me, but they won't. Anyone else hate it when people do this to you?**

**Okay, that's enough ranting. Next update is on Saturday. Go ahead and be awesome and leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter! Until then - have a lovely week!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, guys, I'm back - with Chapter 14. I know, I always update late, but that's because I'm usually busy in the day - today, for example, I've been visiting out with a friend. And in my defence, it's only 19:40 in the UK. That isn't as late as it usually is, right?**

**Besides, I've been having a pretty bad week and I've been feeling really down. My best friend got into a fight on Thursday - the police got involved, she's been suspended for six days, and might possibly be facing charges from the girl she battered. This has been going on to years now. She does does drugs, goes out drinking, smokes, self-harms and attempts suicide. It's hard to cope with, because this is the girl who I see a lot of the time as my sister. I've tried telling her to stop, get help and for god's sake consider what she's doing to everyone else! She always lies and says she will, but she doesn't. And it's freaking driving me mad.**

**Anyway, this chapter is much more interesting than the last, I promise. There's fluff, because I know most of you guys love that. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter - as usual, I really appreciate it. You guys are awesome, and it totally makes my day. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, too! Warnings for swearing.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>I should have known my flu would get worse overnight.<p>

I wake up in a cold sweat at, like, one in the morning. I can't remember much of the dream, but it definitely involved Hugh and a flashback. When I'm awake, I take a moment to remember it was only a dream. Then, all I can think about is the horrible aching in my limbs; the fire in my stomach and caveman in my skull. I try for a few minutes to fall back asleep, but it's useless. How does your health deteriorate so fast? From a small cold to...increasing agony. Not being, funny, but I call bullshit. As I said, sleeping is useless; especially after having a nightmare. I throw off the sheets and scurry out of my room, ignoring the pain from my scraped feet. Its not as though I have anything to do in here except lie in the bed.

Poseidon's bedroom door is open a crack. That's how I know whether or not he's in his room – when he's not, the door is completely closed. I hesitate for a second before slipping inside, swaying dangerously as my vision spins. See, this is what happens when I get ill; one small illness can escalate into this. I hold back a couple of coughs too, my throat painfully itchy, and hurry across the room. Poseidon is lying on his back, sleeping deeply. I notice how we have different sleeping habits - I tend to curl up into a ball, like my mom. Should I wake him?

Waking him doesn't sound like a good idea. I'll look like a baby. I'll just stay quiet instead. I climb on to the bed slowly, careful not to move the mattress. I'm freezing, but I don't dare get under the covers. Just in case. What if Poseidon gets mad at me? He'll probably yell and tell me to go back to my own room. Then in the morning he'll probably yell some more...

_No,_ I tell myself. _Man up. He's your dad. You have to stop thinking like that._

Before I know it, I'm shuffling closer. And closer. Soon, I'm curled against my father's side. Poseidon's arm has draped over me, even though he is still asleep. I'm trembling from the cold, yet sweat is breaking out on my forehead. I try not to whimper at the increasing pain. You know when you wake up in the night with an earache or toothache and there's nothing you can do about it until morning and it's so bad you want to cry? Yeah, well that's how I feel. Just spread the pain through my stomach and head and multiply the pain by five and you've got whatever it is I have. And all because I was stupid and ran away...

Poseidon must eventually feel my movement, because after a few minutes he turns slightly to face the side of the bed that I'm on. "Percy?" he mutters, voice thick with sleep. I can just make out him blinking blearily in the darkness. "Whassup?"

"Nothing," I mutter, voice weak and croaky. Hopefully, he takes my tone as exhaustion.

"You're freezin'..."

Still half-asleep, Poseidon shifts and moves the blanket for me to slither under. I curl into the tightest ball I can muster, taking in deep, shuddering breaths. To my surprise, Poseidon kisses my head before falling back to sleep. _No matter_, I think. _He won't remember this in the morning. Maybe I can get out before he wakes up. If he does remember this he'll worry...and I've caused him enough trouble..._

I spend the rest of the night close to agony. My stomach is literally eating itself. My previous meal is starting to grow restless, the acid of it burning my throat. I think that my entire body is on fire, judging by the heat. But at the same time I'm unbearably cold and find myself wishing for more blankets. I don't know how much time passes until I have tear-tracks on my cheeks, which I almost don't care about wiping away.

I'm so preoccupied with the pain and misery of it all, I don't even notice Poseidon stirring. Before I'm able to slip back to my room unnoticed, his green eyes open.

"What's wrong, son?" he asks. He doesn't sound as tired as he did earlier, as though he's been awake for a few minutes but simply kept his eyes closed. His hand touches my damp cheek.

I jolt, my eyes snapping open. I had been trying to go back to sleep. Too late. Poseidon's awake. He sees the tears on my face. I open my mouth to reply but all that comes out is a pitiful, weak whimper of pain.

Poseidon frowns in concern. "What's wrong?" he repeats, his thumb wiping the newly-leaked tears on my face. My face burns, however I can't tell whether it's from blushing or the fever.

"Nothing," I manage to mutter. I feel a horrible stabbing pain in my gut and double-over, arms wrapping around my lower torso with another whimper.

"Are you hurt?" Poseidon questions, panic quickly entering his tone. I shake my head. He touches my forehead and draws his hand back quickly like he'd been burnt. "My gods, you're on fire. Are you ill?"

I nod. It's clear that keeping this quiet isn't going to happen. Usually, I'd be doing everything to hide it from him. It hurts so bad...I just want it to stop. "Hurts," I tell him quietly. I regret it instantly as bile tries to escape my throat. I force myself to swallow it down with a cringe.

"Alright..." Poseidon says, sitting up. I frown as his body moves away – it had been my main source of heat the entire night. "I'm going to call Hestia,"

And with that he stands, walking out of the room. I cry silently as another wave of pain hits me. I feel more hot tears on my face.

Again – all this from a _cold_!

Poseidon comes back into the room a few seconds later, cellphone in hand. He sits back on the bed, moving over so I can huddle against him again. He dials Hestia's number and wipes away my fresh tears as it rings, also running a hand through my hair. "You'll be fine soon..." he mutters comfortingly.

It must be early because Hestia doesn't answer the first time that he rings her. Their conversation goes on for a few minutes, but I don't really listen. Poseidon must tell her that I'm burning up and in a lot of pain, because those are the words I hear. When he hands up, Poseidon tells me that Hestia is on her way over with medicine and stuff. Part of me wants to protest, but I suddenly feel too weak. It's stupid how fast your health can deteriorate at night. Have I mentioned?

Poseidon leans back against the headboard, letting me rest my head on his lap. I'm unbelievably mortified to be acting so babyish, but I don't move. Part of me realises that I've always longed for this kind of affection ever since my mom...went bad. I've missed out on so many childhood experiences, I realise that there a sort of...gap in my mind, where those memories should be. Sighing, I curl into a ball and whine slightly under my breath for the blanket, because it's too painful to talk. Poseidon pulls it further away from me.

"You're too warm, Percy," he says in a hushed voice.

"No..." I protest, coughing painfully as I do. "C-Cold..."

Clearly unhappy, Poseidon purses his lips.. He checks his cellphone and I glance at the time on it. 5:21. Damn. I hope Poseidon's not mad at me for waking him up.

I continue to cry in pain. I want to, I don't know, _hide_ in Poseidon's side, but I'm worried how he'll react to the movement if I do. Occasionally, a jolt will go through me; a pain that's so bad it feels like I'm being stabbed. Poseidon must be able to hear my whimpers when it happens, because then he says something comforting. "Hestia's coming," he promises, stroking my hair. Is it me, or are his hands shaking a little? Like he's scared? "She'll be here soon...where does it hurt the most?"

"S-stomach," I reply. "And my head...throat...e-everywhere,"

Poseidon sighs. There's nothing I can do but cry. Not sob. Being ill and in pain doesn't make you sob, really.

Eventually, I hear the front door and someone coming into the room. Poseidon sighs again, but this time in relief. "Hestia," he says.

"Oh, Percy," I hear my aunt's soft voice. I feel another hand in my hair. "My goodness, Poseidon, he looks extremely ill..."

"I know," my dad says weakly. "Got anything to help him?"

I hear a paper bag rustling. I tilt my head and crack open an eye, peering at Hestia. She smiles comfortingly when she sees me. "How are you feeling, Percy?"

"Horrible," I whimper. I feel another jolt of pain and Poseidon shushes me gently, fingers trailing through my hair. I can tell Hestia is smiling warmly at us, before she pulls out some medicine.

"I didn't know exactly what to get," she says. "So I got some painkillers and fever tablets and stuff like that. I'll go get some water for them,"

As she leaves, Poseidon carefully gets me to uncurl from the ball that I'm crunched up in. "Percy, you need to sit up," he says. I find it hard to hear him over the pounding of blood in my ears. "You need to take some medicine. Think you can handle some water?"

I cringe, feeling like if I drank some water I'd puke it back up. But Hestia is already back and she has a glass with her. I try to take it from her hand, but I almost drop it. Luckily Poseidon catches it before it can ruin the bed-sheets. I'm not too sure what medicines I take, but they're all nasty. When I've taken them all I'm crying again, tears streaming down my face and small whines of pain escaping my lips. Poseidon wipes the tears away hastily, giving me a hug, and Hestia kisses both of my cheeks.

"Let's go downstairs," Poseidon says. "It'll be cooler,"

_But I don't want cooler_, I think. _I want to stay warm, in bed..._I just can't find the energy to tell them, however. I feel myself being picked up and the sensation of being carried. Weird, I've never properly been carried before. Soon, I feel the sofa beneath me, and Poseidon disappears.

I look around, eyesight fuzzy, suddenly desperate for my dad. I remember my nightmare and I panic. A moment later a familiar hand touches my hair and I relax again, my face nuzzling into the armrest of the sofa; I sigh in relief.

"I'm still here, son," Poseidon soothes from somewhere above me. "Don't worry. Try and get some rest..."

And then his hand is gone again and I can't open my eyes to search for him. The painkillers that I've been given must be strong. I'm tired again. My body becomes numb. Maybe if I just succumb to sleep, I'll feel better...

So I close my eyes, and sleep.

I'm not sure how long I sleep, but when I wake I'm still a little numb, the pain now a rather dull ache across my body, which causes me to shift uncomfortably. I'm lying on the sofa with a thin blanket draped over me. I'm sweating with it on but still, at the same time, absolutely freezing. Wow. Logic! Whoever invented fevers is stupid.

My thoughts dawn on Poseidon and I, obviously, begin to search for him. He isn't in the living room. I raise my head enough to look at the clock – 10am. He should be in work. But Poseidon wouldn't just leave me, right?

"Dad?" I call cautiously, hearing movement in the kitchen. My voice sounds more like a whisper than a call, however.

Poseidon strides in, carrying his usual cup of coffee and looking rather weary and tired. "Percy," he says and a relieved smile quickly forms on his face. "Are you feeling better?"

"A bit," I say. "The painkillers have numbed the worst of it..."

"Good. You didn't half give me a scare," Poseidon tells me. He sits on the sofa at my feet. "I've phoned school. You won't be going in today,"

I frown, glancing again at the clock. "You should be in work," I say. My tone is meant to be accusing but it sounds more like a frog.

Poseidon rolls his eyes. "Did you really think that I'd leave you on your own while you were this ill, Percy?" he asks, eyebrows raised.

I smile weakly, managing to shrug my shoulders ever so slightly. "Maybe? Your work is important,"

"You're more important than work to me," says Poseidon, shrugging too. "Hestia said she hopes you feel better soon. She had to leave about two hours ago to go to work, but she'll be back to check on you later,"

I nod once and relax. I close my eyes as the pain in my head becomes more prominent. I must have taken the painkillers about five hours ago, which means that they're wearing off. Poseidon sips his coffee, looking at me worriedly.

Eventually, I give in to the temptation. I shuffle across the sofa to his side. Poseidon helps, seeing that I was having trouble moving with heavy, sore limbs. A second later I'm lying on the other side of the sofa with my head in my dad's lap. He runs his fingers through my hair as usual.

"Get some sleep," he urges. "Your painkillers should last another couple of hours,"

I shift slightly, trying to get a big more comfortable and I wrap the thin blanket around me tighter to contain my trembling shoulders. "Fine..." I sigh, eyes closing. Sleep takes hold of me instantly.

And while in the presence of my dad, nothing but calmness follows.

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><p><strong>In the past ten minutes I've changed at least half of this chapter. Again, to make it realistic. I really don't want to disappoint you guys with sucky chapters. If there is anything wrong with this, go ahead and tell me (politely) in the reviews.<strong>

**Don't rely on me, by the way, for all this medical-knowledge-stuff. I went on a first-aid course with the Sea Cadets about two years ago, and anything I may have learnt about fevers and illnesses have completely disappeared from memory. I've done a bit of research - when someone has a fever, the best thing to do is keep them cool. So...yeah. I've just totally winged it.**

**Uhh, so that's just about all I have to say. The next update will come on Tuesday - or maybe Monday. I don't know. My calender is upstairs and I'm way too comfy to go upstairs and check. Go ahead, call me lazy. I've heard it all before :P**

**Please review if you enjoyed this chapter, and follow for emails when I update. I appreciate all the response you guys give, seriously. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, guys, I'm back - later than usual, for some reason. Sorry about that. As usual, I've been busy today.**

**For those who don't know, today is Armistice Day in the UK; otherwise known as 'Remembrance Day' or 'Poppy Day'. Basically, today's the day that we remember all the soldiers who have died in every war since WW1, and at 11 o'clock we have two minutes of silence in respect of them. I totally forgot about the silence today; I was sat in history thinking '_why aren't we going to break?_' and I spent the two minutes reading the maps on the walls rather than remembering the sacrifices of soldiers, and what my great-grandfather did during his time in the war (he was a soldier in the Air Force and fought over Burma - he's still alive and kicking today, in fact. Thank you Granddad George!). Whoops. Instead, I offer my respect right here: to everyone who has sacrificed themselves in a war, or has lost a relative to war. You're all in our thoughts and those who are gone will always be remembered****.**

**Anyway...I made a mistake last chapter, and the chapter before. I _said_ that Chapter 15 would be more interesting than the rest. Well, it is - it's longer and cute and stuff - however it's not the chapter I thought it was therefore the interesting thing I said would happen doesn't happen until Chapter 16. Sorry to you guys who have been waiting for this chapter excitedly...I'm just dumb. You probably know what by now.**

**Okay, so that's it for now. Warnings for swearing and stuff - y'know, the usual. Hope that you enjoy this chapter and I'll talk to you at the bottom :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON**

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><p>The headache and stomach ache return by the time I wake up. I wince as I open my eyes, blinking in the dim light that still somehow hurts. "Can I have any more painkillers?" I ask, shifting against Poseidon, whose lap is still acting as my headrest.<p>

"Another hour," he replies. "Sorry,"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Overdosing is the last thing you want to risk doing,"

I groan quietly, arms wrapping around my stomach. "Stupid, stupid...whatever-this-is..." I mutter angrily. Why does 'it' like to make me suffer so much?

"Hestia called again," Poseidon says lightly, clearly trying to start a conversation. If Hestia has called, then I must have been asleep for about two or so hours for her to be on her lunch break. "She said I should see about taking you to a hospital or clinic,"

"No," I say, instantly shaking my head. Everything spins for a second."I don't need hospital. I mean, I'm fine. And I don't like them,"

Even though I can't see his face, I know Poseidon is frowning. "Are you sure?" he asks.

"Definitely. I'm pretty sure that a majority of doctors are messed up because they get paid to cut people up-,"

"Not about that, genius. I mean being ill. You hardly seem _fine_," Poseidon says, placing a hand on my clammy forehead.

I take a second to clear my sore throat. "This happens occasionally. I get a little bit ill and it gets worse,"

"Huh. Well that sucks for you,"

"I know..." We fall silent. Poseidon is half-lying down on the sofa now, one hand combing through my hair subconsciously and his other hand holding the remote for the TV. I'm still lying along the length of the sofa, wrapped up in the blanket. I still feel cold and I don't like it. However my pillow is extremely comfortable (Poseidon's lap, for those of you who still haven't caught on yet...).

I glance at the clock. It's nearly half eleven. "Are you not definitely not going into work at all today?" I question. "I thought...I thought Glimmer was leaving,"

Oh. That's today. If my day isn't bad enough, I remember this - Glimmer is healthy enough to live on her own in the wild, now. Today's the day that she's taken from the aquarium to be released. I'm really going to miss that little sea lion. Something tells me that it's thanks to her Poseidon and I are now living together like a proper father and son pair.

"She is," Poseidon sighs. "But I'm not leaving you on your own,"

"You're such a mother hen," I can't help but huff. "You need to see her off, dad. This could be her last day you see her. Why not call Hestia when she gets out of work or bring me with you?"

"One) Glimmer is leaving at four, Hestia doesn't get out until five. Two) You are in no state to leave the house. End of story,"

"Oh, c'mon. I can manage an hour on my own if you don't want to take me with you,"

"Tough shit,"

I can see why he doesn't want me to leave the house - as much as I want to say goodbye to Glimmer, I don't think my legs can support my weight. I'll have to stay at home. Regardless, I huff again. "Seriously? Is there no one in the world that you can call to come babysit me for an hour or two?"

"Well..." Poseidon says. "I don't think Zeus or Hades are busy today. Maybe I can get them to come over and bring Nico and Thalia with them,"

"Ooh, I'd like that,"

Poseidon smiles. I can see that he's wary about inviting his big brothers over, and especially about leaving them alone with me, but he knows that it's his only good option. "Fine. I'll text them both later. Do you want anything to eat?"

At the mention if food, the smile on my face vanishes - which is weird because usually it's the opposite way around. "Do I have to?" I ask warily.

"Uh, well eating is required, yes,"

"But I'll puke it up,"

"Something light then – like soup or crackers or something,"

I hesitate, however I can see that Poseidon will probably not relent until I agree to something. "Fine. Just a few crackers, please," I don't even like crackers, but they're the only food I can keep down when I get ill, so I usually just force myself to eat them.

"Alright,"

I have to sit up so that Poseidon can get out from underneath me. He replaces his lap with a pillow under my head, kisses my forehead (he must be feeling both nice and mean today) and then goes into the kitchen. "Mother hen," I call after him.

"Shut up," he retorts.

A few minutes later he returns with another cup of coffee for himself and a small plate of crackers. I sit up just enough so I won't feel dizzy but I can also eat without choking, and Poseidon sits down near my feet.

I was right when I said I'd just puke the crackers up. The first and second ones settle okay, if you excuse the bad taste they leave in my mouth. But then the third makes my face go green and I quickly put the plate to the side.

"Is that all you can manage?" Poseidon asks, glancing at the almost completely full plate.

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I take a small sip of water to try and force the vomit in my throat back the way it came. It's disgusting. Ugh, I hate being ill.

For the next few hours I watch TV with Poseidon, occasionally making small talk however my throat is straining slightly, so most of the time we're just silent. I go to the bathroom a couple of times to puke, though I tell Poseidon that I'm just going for the toilet. I can tell that he's worrying enough already with the issues I've had so far; the last thing I want him to do is worry even more with a new symptom. I don't think he suspects anything. After an hour I'm fine though – Poseidon lets me take more painkillers. I make sure to take enough to numb the pain but also not make me loopy (like some of the tablets my mom's boyfriends would take...though I'm not sure that they were legal...).

To our surprise, both Zeus and Hades both agree to come over to our house to watch me whilst Poseidon's working, along with Thalia and Nico. Poseidon is a little suspicious but I tell him to grow up – maybe his brothers are genuinely being nice. Zeus even offers to bring Annabeth from school.

"I bet they're just coming to steal some things," Poseidon says, scowling slightly.

"Oh, behave," I sigh for the fifth time, almost as though I'm the bossy parent and he's the sick child. "Maybe they're actually trying to get along. If they were going to try and steal something, you know I'd stop them, even if I am ill. You're being stupidly paranoid,"

"Yeah, you're right...but you do remember the moves I taught you, just in case..."

I kick him to get him to shut up. Even though my legs are like lead, I manage a pretty good blow that does its job. Zeus and Hades are here by half three. Thalia, Nico and Annabeth all bound through the door and run straight into the living room where I'm still trying to rest. Nico jumps on me.

"OW!" I yell as my cousin lands on my chest, winding me. It takes me a second to breathe again. "Whoa, c-calm down, Nico..."

Thalia pries him off me. "Nico, be careful. Percy's ill, remember?" she says, nodding at me in greeting.

"Oh," Nico says, blushing. "Sorry Percy,"

I can't help but smile. "Nah, its okay...just don't jump on me again, please,"

"How are you feeling?" Annabeth asks, hovering over my head at the arm of the chair, smirking.

"You find this funny?" I demand.

Annabeth giggles. "Well, you are still in your pyjamas..."

I huff, trying my hardest not to blush. "These pyjamas are very manly, I'll have you know,"

"They're Cookie Monster," Thalia snorts, rolling her eyes.

I scowl at and tug the blanket to my chin, hiding my 'manly' choice of clothing. The adults walk in, smirking. Zeus and Hades have rather blank looks on their face, but Poseidon clearly heard my conversation with my cousins and friend judging by the gleeful look on his face. I glare at him, daring him to say something.

"Well, don't you look well," Hades comments sarcastically.

"I know, right?" I reply in the same tone. Hades smirks at me, ever so slightly, and sits down on one of the armchairs - the furthest one away. _Don't worry, uncle, I won't cough on you unless you annoy me._

"No, but seriously," Annabeth says, still hovering over me. "How do you feel?"

"Uh...like someone's assaulting my brain," I say, gently rapping on my temple (and still wincing at the light movement). "With a sledgehammer and nails,"

"I've left some painkillers on the side," Poseidon says, tugging on his coat. "If you need them. Though unless you want to go crazy I suggest you wait another hour,"

"Yup,"

"And if Zeus or Hades are annoying in any way, I give you permission to hit them or cough on them,"

His brothers look, offended and ready to yell at him, but Poseidon is already out the door, yelling goodbye to us all. "Say bye to Glimmer for me," I call as loudly as my voice will allow me. Poseidon replies with something, but I don't quite catch it.

"Does the permission to hit you apply to me?" Thalia asks sweetly, grinning at her dad.

"Don't even think about it," he growls unhappily.

The two adults move to the kitchen, where they can still see us but also talk in private. Apparently, they're discussing something important, however I'm unusually uninterested. Thalia, Nico and Annabeth are great company. They take my mind off of most of the pain and nausea (though I still have to hurry to the bathroom a few times). Nico is cute as hell – he declares me his big brother and sits tucked against my side. Thalia mocks me playfully with Annabeth, though my blonde-haired friend is a lot more sympathetic. I know that she's only eight, but I can still imagine her being a good mom when she's older.

"What's your biggest fear?" Thalia asks, chin resting on her fist as she faces the rest of us (like I said, Nico is sat next to me, and Annabeth has perched herself on the arm of the sofa near my head).We're playing Truth or Dare, but no one wants to do dares, so we're just playing Truths.

"Spiders," Annabeth shudders.

"That's so girly," I snicker with Nico. God, if she's scared of spiders, Annabeth would have been terrified of my old room in my mom's apartment and the loft of the children's home...

Annabeth narrows her eyes at me dangerously and punches my shoulder. "That's because I'm a girl, Kelp Head,"

I grin cheekily. "Oh, really? I didn't notice,"

"You two argue like Zeus and Hera," Nico groans before Annabeth can retort.

"I heard that," our uncle shouts from the kitchen.

"Sorry," we all chorus.

"Well," Thalia says, leaning forwards eagerly. "What's your fear, Percy? Annabeth's scared of spiders, and you're scared of..." she trails off expectantly.

I think for a second before shrugging. "I'm not sure," I say. "Uh...being abandoned? Like, everything that Hugh said to me coming true,"

"Who's Hugh?" Thalia and Nico both ask.

"Someone," I reply shortly.

"Your turn, Nico," Annabeth says, changing the subject as though she can sense my discomfort on the subject. I smile gratefully at her.

"Ghosts," the younger boy says without a thought. "But only the mean ones with the red eyes..."

I blink at him. Hades pokes his head out of the kitchen and we catch each other's eyes – my uncle shrugs, as though saying 'yeah, he's like that' before disappearing again. I just brush it off. Maybe Poseidon will know more. I'll ask him later.

"So that leaves..." I grin at my cousin. "What's your fear, Thals?"

Thalia blushes. "I don't have one,"

"You so do," Annabeth states, rolling her eyes. "It's really obvious,"

"It's stupid..."

"Well, it can't be as stupid as Percy, so tell us,"

"HEY!" I _try_ to shout. My voice cracks and sounds a lot quieter than I intended.

Thalia smiles sheepishly at us. "Oh, fine," she huffs. "I'll tell you. But only if you swear on your lives that you won't laugh,"

"We won't," I mutter, glaring at Annabeth who had a sweet smile on her face.

"Fine...I'm scared of heights,"

I don't see how Thalia would think that's funny, but the way she says it almost makes me cackle. I purse my lips, cheeks puffing with the effort, and exchange a look with Annabeth. "That's not an embarrassing fear," she says comfortingly.

"Yeah," Nico says. "Annie's fear is stupider,"

Annabeth glares at him and I raise my hand to give him a high-five. But then he says, "But not as stupid as Percy," and I promptly drop my hand.

"Traitor. I thought you were my brother," I mutter, scowling. Nico receives high-fives from the girls, though how their high-fives are better than my high-fives I'll never know. Whatever. I don't care about high-fives anyway...

Hestia arrives just after five, when she finishes work. She fusses over me for a few minutes, then moves on to her other nephew and niece when she sees I'm improving after this morning. I do feel better, however only because of the painkillers. I can bet on this sofa and the pool outside that I'll wake up tonight in tears and spend the night with Poseidon again - and I love this sofa and the pool, so you'd better believe it.

Despite feeling better, I still can't move. I'm stuck on the sofa. The only times I've gotten up is to go the downstairs toilet – yes, I did try to brave the upstairs, except the second I tried to push myself up the staircase I slipped and whacked my jaw on the fourth step...yes, it hurt. A lot. I took an extra painkiller for it. Poseidon panicked for a second when he heard me fall and then laughed at me. Again, a lot...

He's the meanest person I know. After my cousins and Annabeth. And Hugh and mom's other boyfriends...wait, never mind. Poseidon's the _nicest_ person I know compared to them. Even if he can be stupidly childish.

Everyone except me eats dinner – keeping food down is still a trouble. I have to admit that it's pretty funny how Hades tells Nico that he's allowed to make a mess in his uncles' houses, just not his own. Zeus, meanwhile, is flicking specks of bolognaise into his oblivious little brother's hair. Wow. So, maybe the childish trait is a family one, considering Poseidon has it and claims I do too. Everyone's just coming to the end of their meals when the door opens and Poseidon enters.

"Great – everything's still intact," he says cheerfully, taking off his coat. He glances around at the seven of us. "And my living room is _really_ full..."

"There's some spaghetti in the kitchen for you," I tell him as he walks past, ruffling my hair as he did. He returns with a bowl in his hand, sits next to me and tells me about Glimmer's departure. He said she seemed a little sad - which is understandable. She'll be okay, though. I hope.

It's around half-six when Nico declares he's tired and he and Hades leave, but not before Nico hugs me tightly. Ten minutes later, she leaves with Thalia and Zeus. Hestia is the last to leave at around seven o'clock.

"Tired?" Poseidon asks meekly as I yawn hugely, snuggling further into the sofa for warmth. The painkillers are still working on me, so I don't feel much of my illness except from the occasional feverish pinch and throb in my head or stomach. I can feel the effects of the painkillers also making me drowsy.

"A little," I say, however my voice is sleepy. Hey, you'll be surprised how tiring bickering with Thalia can be.

"Good," my father says, stretching his limbs with a yawn. "Because I'm exhausted. Shall we have an early night?"

I nod, not complaining because I an feel my eyelids getting heavy. "Sure,"

I slowly stand up off the sofa, being careful not to move suddenly in case I get hit by one of those stupid waves of dizziness. I stumble towards the stairs and Poseidon's hand falls on my shoulder. I purse my lips as I take the first step, focusing on not falling. Luckily, I succeed. At the first step.

On the second step my leg completely gave in and I almost go flying. Almost. Poseidon's hand is still on my shoulder and his arms shoots out to grab me the second he sees me falling.

"Ow," I whine.

"Idiot," Poseidon rolls his eyes. I glare at him for a second – after all, how is it my fault that I'm ill and weak? – before my expression turns to shock as he picks me up effortlessly.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

Poseidon rolls his eyes, carrying me up the stairs. "Carrying you, of course. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"_Why_ are you carrying me?"

"Because otherwise you'll find yourself on your ass at the bottom of the stairs more times than you can count," Poseidon smirks. "As funny as that would be, you'd hurt yourself more and it'll take you hours to get to the top. And I'm tired,"

I have to resist the urge to pout. "I feel like a baby,"

Poseidon kicks open his bedroom door (we made a silent agreement earlier that I'm not staying on my own tonight) and sets me down on the bed. "So?" he asks. "You're still a baby in my eyes,"

"I'm nine years old!" I huff, cheeks on fire (not just with the fever).

"Of course it wouldn't make sense to you, you are a baby," Poseidon teases, waving his hand.

"Are you serious?" I whine, pouting.

"And now you _look_ like a baby, too!"

I groan, sliding under the blankets and hiding my face in a pillow. Gods, it's _so _much warmer than that stupid thin blanket I was force to use. I hear Poseidon heading into the bathroom, presumably to get changed, and a few minutes re-enter the room. My face is still buried in the pillow. Poseidon chuckles as he sits on the bed next to me.

"Fine," he says. He sounds a little embarrassed, I think. "You're not a baby. At least, physically and mentally you're not. But in my eyes, you're my child, so you're my baby. Always will be...,"

"That's the kind of thing mom would say," I mutter, peering up at him. "I mean, before she got all...y'know..."

Poseidon nods, stroking my hair. "I know," he says softly. "You'll understand what I mean when you have babies of your own. C'mon, we should probably go to sleep,"

"I promise I'll be better by the morning," I say. Poseidon smiles, pleased, and gets under the blankets. I instantly move to his side, curling into it with a small smile plastered on my own face, and close my eyes. Poseidon's arms wrap around me securely and I think about what he said – _"So, you're my baby_," – and the smile widens. I shift closer and a minute later, I'm asleep.

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><p><strong>I was reading this back and literally couldn't stand to tone done the fluff. It was too much. I love Nico and Percy acting like brothers - I'm aware that in the HoH, Nico apparently has feelings towards Percy. I've personally not read the book yet (though I'm nearly at the end of MoA. Praise be to Kindles XD) and I prefer their relationship like this anyway. It's cute.<strong>

**I'll admit, guys - reviews in the last chapter were at a low. There were only 5, I believe. Now, that isn't bad, of course. I appreciate every review I receive, except most chapters have a bit more than that. I'm just wondering - is my writing going downhill? Are you not enjoying the chapters? If not, please tell me and explain to me how I can make them better. If you don't like the story at all, then don't read. Simple as. But if you feel that you did like part of the story, but now you don't, then that I'd like to know about. Thanks :)**

**So, that's all for now. Thank you to everyone who has followed and added to favourites and reviewed! You're all awesome, as per usual. I say this all the time, don't I? Oh well, I'll see you on Friday. Have great weeks!**

**Long chapter :O**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, guys, I'm back and for one the first times ever, I'm not updating at at a stupid time. Yay! School's finished for the week (thank _god_), I'm wrapped up in my onesie in my Marvel-themed bedroom (XD) and I'm in a really good mood, as you can expect. So, I thought I'd crack on with updating while my good mood lasts.**

**By the way, you guys proved me _majorly_ wrong last chapter. I asked whether my writing was going down-hill because chapter 14 got five reviews - chapter 15 got twelve reviews. That is _awesome_, guys, thank you so much! I can safely say that confidence in my writing has been restored; maybe that's one of the reasons I'm in a good mood too. So, yeah, thank you :D**

**I won't keep you people who actually read these little rants of mine any longer - _this_ is the rather exciting chapter I promised but mistook it for the last chapter. It's not all action, but I like to think that it's tense and well-written. I don't know. That's up to you guys to decide. Hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Percy's POV<span> **

Well, I may have sorta lied when I said I'd be better in the morning. I wake up at half-three with a shout of pain. If my stomach hadn't been eating itself again, I'd've found the way Poseidon woke up in a blind panic funny. But it wasn't funny because it really hurt. My painkillers have worn off. Luckily, Poseidon brought some upstairs with us and half an hour later I'm back to sleep.

We wake up again at nine, and I'm nothing but feverish. No pain, just a little bit of dizziness and nausea, but overall I'm not ill any more. It's a sigh of relief for both me and Poseidon. Even better, it's the weekend, so we have nothing to do but lounge on the sofa, watching movies and eating buttered popcorn. I try to make the point that it's extremely lazy, but Poseidon doesn't seem to care. Neither do I, really. The only thing missing are my friends, but I want some time with just Poseidon today. All day.

Too bad it doesn't stay like that.

There's a knock on the front door. It's noon, so there's nothing odd about it. Poseidon is about to get up to answer it, but I'm already on my feet.

"It's probably the postman," I say. "I'll get it,"

Poseidon sits back down. "Alright. Be quick, then. I'm only pausing this thing for thirty seconds,"

I nod, running to the door in order to be back within the thirty seconds. I open the door, expecting to see an overly-happy man with short-shorts and a bike (our postman is weird) but instead I'm faced with a horribly familiar face.

"Kronos?"I blink.

An instinct is screaming at me to close the door, lock it and run to Poseidon. _This man is crazy_, a voice is screaming inside my head. But I've been faced with things like this before, when I lived with mom. It's never a good idea to run away from people like this guy. He'll find a way inside until he gets what he wants.

So rather than running, I stand straight, grasping the door handle and basically sending the message '_you're not coming in, I'm not going out_' as I glare at my 'grandfather'. I smother my panic beneath a blank mask of none-existent emotion.

"Where is your father?" Kronos asks smoothly, looking bored. "I want to talk to him,"

"I can pass on a message," I reply, sounding just as cool. Focus on keeping my face as blank, yet as brave as possible.

Kronos quirks an eyebrow. I quirk one back. _Two can play at this game, bud. My dad hates you. You're not talking to him if I can help it_.

"Don't be foolish, child," Kronos says after a few seconds of just staring at each other. "Let me inside. I simply request a word with my son – is that too much to ask?"

"Let's see – oh, yes, it is too much," I say. I can see that my antics are sort of getting on his nerves. Still, I continue. It's not as though Kronos can hurt me with Poseidon in the other room, anyway. "Last thing I heard, my dad hates you. If there's one thing he'd rather not do, its look at you. So you might as well leave now,"

"This is a childish game you're playing," he rolls his eyes.

"Then admit that I'm the winner and you're the loser,"

Kronos glares at me with hatred. I grin at him cheekily, unable to resist the temptation. Before anything else can be said, Poseidon strides in from the living room see what's taking me so long. Usually, run-ins with the postman are as brief as possible. The second his eyes fall on Kronos, he grabs me by the shoulder and pushes me behind him.

"Go to your room, Percy," he says, staring stonily at his father.

"I'm fine," I tell him.

"Now,"

Poseidon's tone is final and he shoots me a glare over his shoulder. I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow at him. _Nope__, I'm not leaving. Nu-uh._

"Poseidon," Kronos says before he can say anything else to me.

"Leave!" Poseidon snarls, spinning around to face him. "What are you doing here? Did you not listen to me last week?"

"I told you that I'd give you two days," Kronos replies. "Have you made up your mind yet?"

"Never,"

I want to ask what they're talking about, however now is probably not the best time. I stand to the side of my dad, behind him slightly so he won't freak, hand gripping the side of his shirt. Hopefully, my touch will comfort him slightly or something. And sure enough, I feel him relax – _slightly_.

"There was no option three, son," says Kronos.

"I am no son of yours," says Poseidon. "And I don't care. You know my answer. I won't let you take him,"

My eyebrows fly to my hairline. '_I won't let you take him_'? Now, if that doesn't involve me, I'll eat the sofa. And I love that sofa, as you well know. What's been going on behind my back? Has Poseidon been keeping something from me?

"We both know that he would be better without you. You are not a suitable father for the child, Poseidon,"

"I'm sorry," I interrupt, temper cracking slightly at that sentance. "But since when have you been a social worker?"

"Percy!" Poseidon hisses. I ignore him and glare at Kronos. I don't know what he's been saying, but it's hurt my dad. And I don't like that. Not one bit. Plus, it involves me. Now I'm not dumb like Annabeth likes to suggest. I can piece together what's being going on. Kronos must have said something to Poseidon about him being a bad father and that I can't live with him...that's why he was in a bit of a bad mood the other day, before we 'argued' and I got ill.

"I have connections," says Kronos. "I already have multiple influential figures on my side, backing me up,"

"You've tried this with Thalia," Poseidon says. "You've tried this with Apollo and Hephaestus and Ares and Dionysus and Artemis and the rest of the family! You say that my brothers and I are terrible fathers when you were a monstrous one yourself,"

"Do you expect people to believe that if you told them so?"

"You're not the only person with connections. Now get off my property before I force you off, Kronos,"

I glance up at Poseidon's face and see that he's serious. His green eyes are glowing dangerously (like, literally _glowing_) and even I can't help but shrink away, taking my hand from his shirt and stepping back. If Kronos is intimidated, he doesn't show it. He just nods calmly.

"I've given you the time to think about it, Poseidon," he says. "But that time is up and you have not come to a conclusion. I'll be in touch,"

"Please, don't bother," Poseidon growls and then slams the door. He rests his forehead against it, breathing heavily. His fists are clenched so hard his knuckles have turned white, and his shoulders are tensed like he's trying to refrain from hitting something. I hesitate for a second, unsure of what to do. He's clearly angry. But he won't take it out on me, right?

Cautiously, I place my hand on his back. "Dad?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah?" he mutters, eyes closed.

"Are you okay?"

There's no reply. I chew my lip nervously, remembering what happened only two days ago when I ran away. I have to start trusting Poseidon more - he won't hurt me, I'm sure of it. I hesitate a little before I slipping under his arm and wrapping my arm around his waist, hugging him softly. Poseidon is still for a second before moving, kneeling down to my height and hugging me back tightly, causing me to tighten my own arms. His hand cups the back of my head and keeps me close. We stay there for a few minutes while he calms down.

"What was that about?" I ask eventually, pulling away enough to be able to see my father's oddly tired face. Huh. Usually he looks so vibrant and powerful yet gentle at the same time. It's weird seeing him look beaten down.

"I've...been having some trouble with certain people," sighs Poseidon.

"Kronos?" I guess. He nods. "Well, what's he been saying?"

"It's...been going on since the wedding, actually. He doesn't think I'm a suitable dad. He's..." he pauses, as though deciding whether or not it's a good idea to continue with the sentence. Eventually, he decides it is. "He's trying to take you away from me,"

"But he won't, will he?" I question, trying my hardest not to sound scared or worried (which I am, secretly...).

"No, not if I can help it. I've just got you – I'm not losing you that quickly,"

I grin and roll my eyes. "You can be so mushy sometimes," and suddenly I feel the tension rise. I love how it's so easy to turn things back to normal - well, so long we're able to stow away the bad thoughts. Which we are able to do.

Poseidon pulls a face. "Mushier than mushy peas?" he asks.

"_Mushier_," I nod grimly.

"Oh," he says, standing. "I don't even like peas,"

"Lucky you, coz I do,"

Poseidon smiles at me, ruffling my hair. "By the way, you're not answering the door again," he declares as we go back into the living room (where, thankfully, the movie is still paused) and sit on the sofa.

"Isn't that a _bit_ overprotective?"

My dad looks at me seriously. "When it concerns my father, no, it isn't. It's a bit relaxed, actually,"

I cringe. "He's that bad?"

Poseidon pauses for a second. Is he going to tell me the actual story behind Kronos? "We suspect that Kronos killed Bianca and Maria," he says eventually. My eyes widen in horror. "However there was no evidence to prove it; all we know is that Hades refused to give Kronos custody to his children, like I am with you. A week later, his wife and children were kidnapped. By the time we found them, Bianca and Maria were dead and Nico was close to death too. Luckily, he survived, however he doesn't remember enough to confirm that Kronos was his mother and sister's murderer,"

"That's..." I breathe. Suddenly, everything I think about Kronos has changed. He wasn't just a horrible father. He could be a murderer. He might have killed his own granddaughter and daughter-in-law for not being allowed to take his two grandchildren. No wonder he reminded me of someone from a horror movie when I first saw him. "That's sick,"

"I know,"

"How is he not in jail?"

"He's rich and powerful, Percy. People these days will do anything for some of what he has, and Kronos knows exactly how to manipulate big public figures and influences,"

I think about my mom's past boyfriends and the drug addicts I've lived with. I remember when I was very young, one of them knifing a man who came into our apartment. He was friends with my mom's boyfriend and he had drugs on him – the drugs that the boyfriend wanted but couldn't afford. I remember that the friend was wanted by the police, dead or alive. Mom's boyfriend wanted the drugs and the cash reward, so he killed his best friend with a freaking butter-knife, right in front of four-year-old me. All I remember is the blood, the scream, and my mom in a corner with scarily dilated pupils...

Great. There's a nightmare for me tonight. I seriously thought I'd forgotten about that memory.

"And you're worried he'll do the same to me?" I ask quietly, staring at the floor blankly. Poseidon wraps an arm around me and pulls me into another hug. It's a big awkward, because we're sat on a sofa, and I feel like I'm almost sat on his lap. But I don't move away.

"No," he says firmly. "Never. Kronos is never going to hurt you. That's kinda why I asked you to go upstairs,"

I smile sheepishly. "Ah, sorry..."

"It's alright. Just next time, listen to me, okay?"

"And what if Kronos hurts you?"

"I'm a grown man, son, I can handle myself,"

I sigh, closing my eyes. I can almost see it in my head – baby Nico (I wonder how old he was when this all happened), wailing over a beautiful, dark-haired woman's pale body as a stream of blood trickled from her chapped, dry lips; on the other side of the room was a motionless young girl sprawled across the tiled floor with a smashed in skull that oozed blood slowly. Now wonder Nico occasionally seems depressed and says really weird things – like when he said he was scared of the ghosts with red eyes. I shudder and open my eyes again.

"Can we go see Nico?" I ask quietly.

"That's just what I was thinking," Poseidon says. "Maybe it isn't best for you to stay here right now. If Kronos were to come whilst we're both asleep..."

"I doubt he'll do that, dad,"

"He tried with Dionysus when he was your age,"

"Ah..."

"Yeah. I'm sure that Zeus will lend us both rooms when he finds out what's going on," Poseidon muses. "I'll call him,"

"I won't be going on my own?"

"Pft, no. Do you mind staying with Zeus for a while?"

"Nah. Thalia will be there, and Apollo, Hermes and Artemis. And you, obviously," I say. "It'll probably be like some sort of big slumber party – but every night,"

"I'm sure Apollo will be all for it," Poseidon says. "That kid's a party animal, though not quite as much as Dionysus. Anyway, I'll go call Zeus and Hades. We can stop at the aquarium on the way to check up on things,"

"Oh yeah, we have those little clownfish now, right...?"

Poseidon speaks to Zeus over the phone, but there's too much to discuss so we agree to go to his house later. It turns out Hades is there anyway so Thalia and Nico can play (they were going to invite me and my dad over too). So Poseidon and I get changed, get in the car, nip to the aquarium to make sure everything is still running smoothly, and head to Zeus's massive mansion.

"Hello, brothers," Poseidon greets as we enter the lavish sitting room, where Zeus and Hades were sat silently with cups of coffee in their hands. They must have obsessions like Poseidon does.

Zeus and Hades greet us formally both as we sit down. I can tell that my uncles are wondering why I haven't already run off to find my cousins by the way they're staring at me.

"We have a problem," says Poseidon. "Kronos. He wants custody of Percy,"

"What?" Hades snaps, eyes widening.

"You can stay here," Zeus says instantly, sitting up straight. I don't comment on his uncharacteristic kindness, because suddenly he looks ten times more intimidating than usual. His eyes narrow and he scowls, like he's remembering something bad.

I think I know what he's remembering. Poseidon explained on the way here that Thalia was collected from school a few years ago by Kronos, who claimed to be taking her to a doctor's appointment when really he'd been trying to get custody of her for weeks and Zeus was refusing. The only reason Kronos didn't succeed in his abduction was because Thalia genuinely did have a doctor's appointment that day, and Zeus arrived to collect her just when they were climbing into the car.

Poseidon smiles. "Thank you; that's what I was going to ask you anyway,"

Hades' jaw is set in a firm line. "He visited you today?" he asks. I can tell that he's masking the emotions in his voice – like I do sometimes.

"Yes. Percy answered the door. He wasn't touched, though..."

Poseidon explains the encounter from this afternoon and Zeus says that we're allowed to stay in his home for as long as need be, until either we have a good security system installed at home or Kronos gives in. The security option is probably more likely, I'm told.

Once the conversation is over, I get up from the sofa and go to find Nico and Thalia. I find them in the back garden playing heroes-against-monsters like at the wedding, only there are three other players.

"You cannot beat my awesomeness!" Apollo yells, wrestling with Hermes on the grass whilst Nico cheers him on.

"You're awesomeness is nothing compared to my amazingness!" Hermes retorts.

"That's not even a real word," Artemis says, rolling her eyes and exchanging a look with Thalia, who shakes her head in agreement. They're both standing with their arms crossed, the wrestling boys at their feet. They keep glancing down at them with looks that read, _filthy peasants._ I don't know why, but that thought makes me snort - drawing their attention to me.

"Hi, guys," I say.

Nico grins and runs over to hug me. I hug him back, tight, remembering what Poseidon told me about his past. "Percy!" he yells happily.

"Hi, bud," I grin, ruffling his hair. "Having fun?"

"'Sup, Seaweed Brain," Thalia says, punching my arm as she came over.

I groan. "Did Annabeth teach you that?"

"Yep, and I quite like it, Kelp-Head,"

I sock her in the shoulder as my three older cousins also come over. "Hey, kid," Hermes says, wiping a hand on his sweaty forehead (he and Apollo must have been wrestling for a while). "How're you doing?"

"Good," I shrug.

"Nice to see you, dude," Apollo says, grabbing Hermes in headlock.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Having trouble?"

"Nah...could use some help though,"

"Or," Artemis says. She flashes me a small smile and nods in greeting. "You two start behaving and we start another round – and you're both on the same team, this time,"

The two boys groan. "Oh, but that's boring!" Apollo exclaims.

"Grow _up_," Thalia says, groaning in exasperation. "You're acting like you're younger than Nico!"

"Hey!"

"Don't worry about it," I say, ruffling his hair.

Nico beams at me. "I talked to Hephaestus," he says. Damn, since when have kids sounded so innocent and cute? He reminds me of Gracie. "He's made you a sword and shield for when you play with us,"

I blink. "He has?"

Nico nods. "Yeah – hold on a second, I'll go get it," and with that, he runs inside.

"Did my dad finally call you then?" Thalia asks once he was gone.

"No, actually," I say, glancing at the door. "My dad called yours. Kronos came over to our house this morning,"

The four siblings breathe in sharply.

"It's a good job you didn't say his name in front of lil' Nico," Hermes says. "Poor kid. Just the mention of our wonderful grandfather terrifies him,"

I nod sadly. "My dad explained,"

Nico comes running back out, holding a wooden sword and shield in his hands. He hands them to me with a bright smile and I examine them. Wow. The shield is painted bronze and green with images of sea creatures and Cookie Monster (thanks, Thalia), whilst the sword looks like a real sword with a bronze hilt and shiny blade – but don't worry, they're both just wood.

"'Pheastus wasn't too sure what kind of things you like," Thalia says. "So we suggested sea creatures and stuff, because that's the kind of thing Uncle P likes,"

"He did a painting of us, too," Nico says, pointing to the painting of four people. I stare at them closely and realise that, indeed, the four people are me, Thalia, Nico and even Annabeth, when we were all piled up on top of each other playing heroes-vs-monsters at the wedding. Hephaestus must have checked up on us at that moment and memorized the scene.

"Wow," I breathe, fingers brushing over the painting. "This is amazing,"

"I said you'd like it," Nico says proudly.

I laugh and give him a one-armed hug. "I do," I say. "I love it, in fact. Thanks,"

My cousins all grin, and suddenly I feel like a real part of the family. Not just Poseidon's, but the _entire _Olympia family. And just think, in ten days, on my tenth birthday, it will be official. Written in paper.

Hopefully.

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><p><strong>I know, the gods are <em>extremely <em>OC in this, but I don't care. A few reviews have said that they like the relationships between Percy and his cousins and his uncles. There's more to come, if you guys really enjoy it.**

**I've had a breakthrough with the sequel, by the way. Chapter 2 has begun, and I've got ideas as for how to introduce Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel and Frank. I've decided that they _have_ to be involved in the story somehow (because, c'mon, TEAM LEO!). Despite this, I don't think that the sequel is going to be ready for many weeks. Months, maybe. It takes me a long time to write a story and I don't want to publish it without the promise of it being completed. But there'll be more updates on that towards the end of this fic.**

**That's all for now, I guess. I'm being forced to watch Children In Need with my family (yippee) soon, so I want to get all of my writing and being-a-moody-teenager out of the way before settling down downstairs. Is anyone else watching it? I'm pretty sure Children In Need is another British thing (it is aired on BBC, after all) so for those of you who don't know, Children In Need is a charity that raises millions per year for children with disabilities and stuff. When I went to Primary School, we'd dress up in spotty stuff or our pyjamas or something. Oh, how I miss my childhood. I get older next month. I'm not sure whether to be excited or not :/**

**Okay, seriously, I'm leaving now. Hope that everyone has a wonderful week - leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter, and follow and favourite! Thanks again for all the support! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello! It's me, again, with Chapter 17. Bloody hell, we're at Chapter 17 already. There's only about ten more chapters left to go :'( But don't worry - I'm gonna make them all interesting!**

**This chapter _is_ a little on the uneventful side, however if you're a fan of Percy/Annabeth bonding (pre-Percabeth) then this is your kind of chapter, I hope. There's also some dark themes in it...a lot of these chapter are dark, aren't they? Huh. I never thought my mind worked like that. I'm not as bad as my friend, though.**

**Okay, that's all for now. I'll blab more when I get to the bottom, don't worry. Hope that you enjoy this chapter - warnings for swearing and such. Your probably know this by now, anyway - 17 chapters and all. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON! (You should probably know this by now too...)**

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><p>Of course, Thalia invites Annabeth around to the 'sleepover'. Without telling me, or her. So it was kind of a shock when we found out that all four of us are sharing a room tonight (yes, Nico is staying over too). Poseidon drives back to our house to get me some clean clothes and pyjamas – I specifically instruct him to get me something manly, so he comes back with my favourite over-sized green t-shirt (which is actually Poseidon's, but I unceremoniously claimed it whilst doing the laundry), and some red Christmas-themed candy cane pants.<p>

"I hate you," I glare at him as he hands me my bag.

Poseidon grins cheekily. "No you don't," he says, ruffling my hair. "Enjoy your little slumber party,"

It's already 6pm, so the second I step out of the bathroom in my pyjamas, Thalia and Annabeth burst out laughing. I glare at them, too.

"I don't see why you're laughing," I say huffily. "You're both in dresses,

"They're called nighties," Thalia retorts, face almost as red as the 'nightie' she's wearing with a big panda printed on it. "And we're girls, so we don't need to look manly,"

"You sure about that?" I grumble.

"Shut up," Annabeth growls, punching my shoulder and tugging on the hem of the faded baby pink nightie she's wearing. Huh. It actually looks nice on her.

Hera comes upstairs at half six with dinner. She's made us a picnic (which Thalia says she only did because Annabeth is here and she's a guest) containing hot dogs, fruit, a bowl of sweets, sausage rolls, etc. Nico returns from his house just as we're digging into it. Even his pyjamas are more manly than mine, apparently – a red t-shirt with plain grey bottoms. I personally don't see how candy-canes are feminine, but hey-ho...

When we finish eating, we decide to go sit with our dads for a bit. After all, all of us are...well, daddy's boys/girls. Nico curls on Hades's lap, having a quiet conversation with each other; Thalia and Zeus watch the TV whilst Thalia drapes her legs over his lap like it's a cushion. I go to sit next to Poseidon, but he tugs me on to his lap like my cousins.

"Dad," I whine, a little embarrassed to be sat on his lap in front of other people.

"Everyone else is doing it," he grins.

"You're so childish," I sigh, rolling my eyes, but leaning my back against his chest anyway as his arms wrap around my stomach. I glance over at Annabeth, who is hovering uncertainly near the sofa we're sat on.

Poseidon must notice her too, because he waves her over. "C'mon," he says, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her on to the other side of his lap. "Don't stay left out,"

Annabeth blushes bright red. "Uh..."

"You look like a tomato," I laugh as Poseidon pokes his head out between our shoulders.

"Shut up, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth says, her expression turning from sheepish to anger as she elbows me. She glares at me but my grin simply widens. Eventually, Annabeth relaxes, and we both sit on my dad's lap. I quite like it, too. Even with Annabeth. We bicker for about twenty minutes non-stop, and I think everyone found it more amusing than annoying.

"They're like on old married couple," I hear Zeus say whilst I was in the middle with firing insults at my best friend, and she comes back with them just as fast.

"I don't think so," Poseidon chuckles, purposefully shoving the two of us closer.

"Dad, stop it," I snap, glaring at Annabeth. She glares back. He's still squishing us together and a minute later I can't keep up the angry-façade and burst out laughing. Annabeth crumbles a second later and we're both laughing (for no reason, really).

Eventually, we decide to go have some fun upstairs before going to sleep. Nico's tired, but that doesn't stop him kicking our asses in a pillow fight. We surf mattresses down the big staircase in the entrance hall, play hide-and-seek (it takes me half an hour to find everyone in such a big house), hide a fake mouse in Hera's jewellery box and, hours of trouble and fun later, we finally sit down to relax and watch a film.

We decide to bunk in Thalia's room – she has this massive plasma TV like the one in our living room at home. We grab all the pillows and blankets from her bed and the spare rooms surrounding us, and pile them on top of a couple of mattresses on the floor. I curl up in a cocoon of blankets besides Annabeth, only my head visible. Nico collapses right on top of them, already asleep, so we cover him with a blanket and turn on a funny movie that would have been inappropriate for him to watch.

After a while I feel myself falling asleep. Thalia and Nico are both snoring and Annabeth's head is drooping, so I think, _what the heck_?

I close my eyes and relax, falling asleep too.

Blood and screams fill my dreams.

I'm sat with my friends and cousins, still watching the funny movie, when Kronos comes barging in to Thalia's room, a carving knife in hand. He grabs little Nico and some sort of invisible ropes hold me back, despite my attempts to fight against them. No matter what I do, I don't get to Nico in time. Or anyone else.

Thalia. Annabeth. Apollo and Hermes. My uncles. My _dad_. I scream and cry and beg for Kronos to stop, but he won't. He's laughing, an evil glint in his gold eyes as he stalks towards me. I don't even fight as he grabs me by the hair and raises the knife. I've let him kill my friends and family. What sort of person am I to have allowed that? I feel a rush of hair as the knife comes down: I close my eyes...

"Percy!"

I wake up with a jolt, eyes snapping open. I gasp for my breath for a few seconds, looking around wildly for the source of the panicked voice. I see Annabeth hovering over me in the dark, looking tired and worried. I feel her hand on my shoulder, having just shaken me awake.

Wait, Annabeth? She's not dead? But I saw her die – just then, killed by the knife that was about to kill me before I...before I woke up. Oh. So it was a dream. Thank god, it was a dream...

I'm silent for a second, before I breathe out slowly with relief and cover my eyes with my hands, trying to block the tears the come.

"Percy," Annabeth says gently. "Percy, are you okay? You looked like you were having a nightmare..."

I gulp, trembling. "I'm f-fine..."

"You don't sound it. Look at me, Seaweed-Brain,"

I hesitate before moving my eyes, looking up at Annabeth. She stares at me for a few seconds sympathetically. Even in the dark room, I can see her grey eyes clearly, like a cat's glowing in the dark. "Was it bad?" she asks after a couple of seconds. I nod, a few traitorous tears rolling down my cheeks. Annabeth wraps her arm around my waist in a sort of half-hug, and I lean in gratefully.

"I thought I saw you die," I tell her. "You, Nico, Thalia, everyone..."

"It was a dream, Kelp-Head," Annabeth murmurs and I almost feeling myself smiling. She and Thalia come up with really stupid names sometimes..."Just don't keep thinking about it, or you'll feel even worse,"

I nod silently. I look over at my two cousins – they're sound asleep, not even aware that Annabeth and I are awake and hugging. My spirits lift a little when I see that Nico has made himself comfortable in Thalia's side.

"Do you want me to go get your dad?" Annabeth asks, for no reason tugging my shirt back on to my shoulder; my shirt is so big, it's always falling off my thin frame.

It takes me a second to register what she'd said. Dad. I nod instantly, my eyes begging her to go get him for me. Annabeth stands and slips out of the dark room. Without her next to me, comforting me, I feel violent trembles wracking my body. Images of the bloody dream flash in front of my eyes. I rub them, trying to rid of the tears at the same time. But it's useless. Eventually I just give in, bowing my head and letting myself cry.

I hear the door open and a pair of arms wrap around me. Poseidon. I hug him tightly and hide my face in his shirt.

"Don't worry," Poseidon says soothingly before I can manage any words. "Annabeth explained what happened..."

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course,"

We both stand, me a little shakily, and I shoot Annabeth a small, grateful smile. "Thanks for the help, Wise-Girl," I say, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Go get some sleep, Barnacle-Beard," she retorts, sitting back on the pillows as I roll my eyes at yet another stupid nickname. _I don't even have a beard..._ She nods her heads towards Nico and Thalia. "I'll make up some excuses for you in the morning,"

"You're a life-saver," I sigh.

Annabeth gives me a genuine, caring smile "That's what friends are for, Percy,"

"Thank you, Annabeth," Poseidon smiles honestly, arm curling tighter around my shoulders, and we leave the room.

The next morning, Poseidon's still asleep when I wake up. I rouse him long enough to tell him that I'm going back to my room before Annabeth, Thalia or Nico can wake up. I expect that they'll all be asleep after our late night last night and it now being only 8am, but surprisingly the Wise-Girl herself is awake; hunched over some sort of book with a pencil in her hand.

"Hey," I say, slipping into the room quietly. "What are you doing?"

Annabeth holds up the sketch-pad which has a drawing of some sort of building on it. "Sketching," she replies. "How are you feeling?"

I sit down besides her on the mound of cushions. "Better. I never have nightmares when I'm with Poseidon," I say. "And thanks again, by the way,"

"It was nothing. You would have done the same for me," Annabeth shrugs, picking up her pencil again and working on the roof of the building. It looks like the Sydney Opera House.

"You're a good drawer," I comment. "For an ADHD kid, at least,"

"I love architecture," Annabeth sighs, smiling as the building starts to take shape. "That's what I want to do when I'm older,"

"Can you draw anything else?"

"Yeah; people, animals, objects and landscapes. They take me a while to complete, of course. Want to see?"

Annabeth flips to the front of her notepad. The first of the drawings is a rather poor sketch of a regular looking house, but as she moves through the pages I start to see an improvement in the drawings. It's hard to believe that eight-year-old, ADHD Annabeth has drawn these. But then again, Annabeth isn't a regular eight-year-old. She, like me, acts older than she really is.

"Is that you?" I ask, pointing to a drawing of a group of people about thirty pages into the book.

"Yeah. And that's my mom," Annabeth says, pointing to another, taller person.

"Then who are the others?"

"My dad, his wife and two kids,"

"Do you see them often?"

Annabeth shakes her head sadly. "No, not really. I used to live with them, but then my mom heard about how they would ignore me, so I moved out,"

"Why didn't you live with your mom in the first place?" I inquire, leaning forwards curiously.

"My dad would say I was never meant to have been born," Annabeth says after a few seconds. "He only knew my mom for a little bit. She was angry when I was born because she was always busy with work and didn't want a kid getting in the way. So she forced my dad to take me,"

"That's...kinda mean," I say, trying not to sound horrible about it.

Annabeth shrugs neutrally. "I understand why she did it. She'd come to visit me every couple of weeks, but with my dad I used to live in San Francisco. He got married to a woman there and they had twins of their own – by then he'd forgotten he had a daughter. I was more like a background prop in the family,"

"And your mom heard?" I guess.

"Yeah. She came to visit one day – the day we were all getting a family photo taken. But I wasn't in it, obviously. My mom arrived and my dad asked what she was doing there, like he forgot I lived with him. He called me down from my room and my mom was mad because I wasn't included in their family photo and was instead forced to stay in my room. She told me to pack my bags, and I came back to New York with her," Annabeth explains, sounding a little sad. "That was about ten months ago. I've not seen my dad since,"

"You had a pretty bad childhood, huh?" I say. Annabeth nods. "If it makes you feel any better, mine was worse,"

"Really," she asks, raising an eyebrow.

I hesitate. My past isn't something I really want to share right now, but if it makes her feel better..."Let's just say my past left me with scars," I say eventually.

Annabeth's grey eyes widen. She stares at me for a few seconds silently, as though the message is taking a while to process for her (despite her being the smartest kid I know); she sighs and shakes her head. "Is it me or has this suddenly got really depressing?"

"Really depressing," I nod, biting my lip. I sigh too. "So...think you can teach me how to draw buildings like that? I used to draw, but since living with Poseidon I've sorta stopped,"

Annabeth grins. "I don't think you have the brain capacity for that, Seaweed-Brain,"

I blink in confusion. "Uh, brain capa-what?"

Rolling her eyes, Annabeth motions for me to move closer. "Come here..."

Half an hour later later (we take a few breaks to relieve our hyperactive-ness), there's a drawing of me and Annabeth in her sketch pad. It's pretty well-detailed, I suppose. In the picture we're both sat on the bed, like we are now, apparently shooting playful insults at each other.

"You're good," Annabeth says. "Really good, actually. Why didn't you tell me you were this good at drawing?"

I shrug. "Like I said – I've not been drawing as much as I used to since living with Poseidon,"

Annabeth looks genuinely impressed. "Well, you're better at drawing than me, I'll give you that,"

I smirk. "What was that about brain capashitty?"

Annabeth rolls her eyes, giggling. I pretend not to notice my mistake.

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><p><strong>Yeh, so, it's not as eventful as the future chapters, like I said, but it's good I guess. For those who don't know, 'nightie' is a British word for 'nightgown' or whatever you guys call dresses that girls wear to sleep in. I've always called them 'nighties' so...yeah.<strong>

**Because I was on the subject of there only being ten chapters of the story left in the A/N up top, I'd like to give you a quick overview of the sequel. I've had a breakthrough, at last! I decided to scrap the original start to the sequel and start anew. Chapter 5 is halfway through and a plot is building in my head. It will probably be the same length as this story, though I can guarantee that it will take a _long time_ to finish writing. I'm probably going to make a third story, too, if you guys want that. What fun! Any suggestions you happen to have for the sequel (anything that you'd like to see included) go ahead and just leave a review telling me. If I like it, I'll incorporate it. Promise.**

**Okay, so that was a big paragraph. I gotta go now. I'm sat on my own at home and my family's returning. Ugh. Leave a review if you have any suggestions, comments or questions - every review is appreciated! Also follow and favourite, just to make my day :) Thanks, and I hope you all have a really good week!**

**(P.S. Sorry this chapter isn't quite as long as the last - I try to make every chapter at least 2,500 words long just so you get sufficient updates every three days)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi, guys, so it's me. I'm back, and while I'm typing this I'm sat watching 'I'm A Celebrity' with my parents, who are questioning me on what I'm writing. Yeah, I ain't telling them.**

**This chapter IS SHORT, by the way. The second half of it used to be an argument between Percy and Poseidon however I deleted it, as they've already had an argument and it wasn't very good anyway. So, yeah...short chapter. I know that people have been asking for longer chapter, but oh well. I'm really not feeling all that creative today. Maths homework has frazzled my brain.**

**Yeah, that's all I'm saying for now. The TV is so distracting; this is the only program I actually watch. So, yeah, bye. Warnings for swearing!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>So, the sleepover is fun, but once it's over, everything is tense again. Kronos is playing on my mind. I can't believe anyone could do murder their own flesh and blood – or anyone at all! I don't understand why the old man is so desperate to have his grandchildren under his control. Poseidon says that it's because he lost control of his own children, so he's going for the next-best thing. His grandchildren. I still don't see the point, though.<p>

At first, I don't see why it's necessary to have to stay with Zeus. I think Poseidon's just being paranoid. But then I see the severity of it all. Artemis shows me a scar on her temple that her grandfather gave her. Hephaestus tells me about the time he was tugged into an alley and drugged – only escaping thanks to a hammer he carried in his belt. Ares boasts about the time when he as seven and escaped a gang of thirteen thugs on a motorbike (though I think he was lying about that).

Now I know for certain that Kronos is crazy, and I'm his next target.

School is informed about the situation. The teachers, honestly, aren't really bothered. All they do is stop me, Grover and Annabeth from sitting besides the fence at break and lunch. Well, it's better than nothing, I guess. And I'd rather not have a huge fuss made.

A week passes and Poseidon and I spend every night of it at Zeus's place. We go back to our house in our free time to get clean clothes, tidy up and other stuff like that. My birthday is just five days away and I can't _wait_. Apparently, the sooner Poseidon _definitely_ has custody of me, the sooner Kronos will 'get the hint' and leave my dad and I alone.

Poseidon sends me up to my room to get some pyjamas for tonight. I still don't like having to spend the nights at Zeus's – I mean, sure, it's nice being around my cousins all the time, but it doesn't feel right. When we decided that I would be living with him permanently, Poseidon promised that we could decorate my room, but with me being ill and Kronos getting in the way of things, we've had to put it off for a while.

I head over to my wardrobe to get come clean clothes, but as I do, something catches my eye. A small scrap of paper sat on my bed. I go over to it curiously, to see if it's important before putting it in the bin. There are just seven words neatly written on it in what looks like an old fashioned fountain pen.

"_Do you feel safe with your dad?_"

I freeze, staring at the note in horror. The back of my neck prickles, like someone is watching me. A cold breeze from the wide open window sends a shiver down my spine. I feel my hands trembling. The words echo thought my mind: _Do you feel safe with your dad_?

"Dad," I call as I look around the room, heart hammering against my chest. "Can you come here please? Uh, quick,"

Someone's been in here, that's for certain. There are things out of place. I certainly didn't leave the bedroom window open last time I was here because it's October and things are getting colder. I walk over to the cabinet under the window. There's a scuff mark on the top of it and the light layer of dust that had been settled on it has been disturbed.

Someone was in here recently. Very recent, in fact. I'd say within the last hour for the dust to still be unsettled, swirling in the light breezs.

"What's up?" Poseidon asks, stepping into the room. I turn to him slowly and hold out the note.

"Someone's been in here," I say.

Poseidon takes the note, getting stiffer with every word he read. "C'mon," he says gruffly. His eyes scan the room like I did earlier – glancing at the open window and the cabinet beneath it. His arm wraps around my shoulders tightly. "We're leaving. Now,"

I don't protest. Poseidon leads the way out of the house. He locks it hastily and we get in the car, driving away. I close my eyes, leaning my head back against the headrest. I can't believe it. Someone – Kronos, probably – was in my room and left me a really creepy note. _Alright_, I think._ Well, that's...normal._

"This is ridiculous..." I mutter to myself. "Absolutely ridiculous..."

"It's my fault," Poseidon sighs. "He's doing this to you because of me,"

"Because I'm your son," I correct, opening my eyes to look at him. "Which you couldn't have helped anyway,"

Poseidon clenches his jaw. "What's your answer?" he asks.

"Uh, what?"

"To the note,"

Oh, right. _Do you feel safe with your dad?_ "Course I do," I say. "Safer than anywhere else, really,"

Poseidon smiles slightly, though he's still tense. The rest of the car drive is silent as I focus on how creepy the note was. It's like the kind of thing a stalker would write in a horror movie. What's with all these links to horror movies? I'll bet you any money that Kronos is going to be wearing a Saw mask and saying to me 'let's play a game' when I next see him.

I shudder, wishing that we weren't in the car so that I could lean against Poseidon for comfort.

So, with Kronos being a creep, both Poseidon and I are in bad moods. Even the company of my cousins and friends can't lift my spirits. My mind is just too befuddled by all the trouble Kronos is causing us. I just don't _get_ why he wants me! Wanting power isn't a very good excuse. Maybe he's wrong in the head or something?

Like I said, not only am I upset, but Poseidon is too. We spend our free-time practically sulking together on the sofa. I know that neither of us like it, but we can't help it. Eventually, I get sick of it.

"One minute," I say, climbing off the sofa and heading upstairs.

I head into the bottom drawer of my dresser here at Zeus's place (I've renounced one of the guest rooms as my own) and pull out an old photo album. It was mom's before she died. This, along with her old family ring, comes with me everywhere. Even when I'm sleeping away from home, or when I'm living somewhere new like I am now. It's filled with picture of my mom and I when we were happy and when her boyfriends _weren't_ around. I've not looked at it in a while, so I know that the memories will lift mine and Poseidon's spirits.

"What have you got there?" Poseidon as I return to the living room, sitting back on the sofa and running my hand over the tattered, old plastic cover of the album.

"My mom's old photo album," I say. "The photos start when I was a baby and there are a few photos in here that I think you'll like. I've not looked at it in a while and I just thought that it would, y'know, make things a little nicer,"

Poseidon smiles. "I've never seen a photo of you as a baby," he says, and then frowns. Clearly he's thinking about how of my life he's missed. I try to tell him all the time that it's not his fault, but of course he's too stubborn to admit it. "Or a photo of you at all, except for the one Hestia showed me of you before I even knew you existed,"

I open up the cover. The first picture my mom took herself whilst she was pregnant. It's been taken in a mirror side-on, showing off her swollen stomach. The label on the top says 'seven months'. Poseidon and I don't say anything, so I move on to the next page. Overall, there aren't many pictures, because the next one is of my mom holding me as a baby.

"You were cute," is Poseidon's instant response. I grin, looking over baby me. I was born with instant black hair and bright green eyes (which is odd for a newborn, I know). This picture is really good because I'm awake in it, looking up at my mom curiously with an expression that says 'lady, what the hell?' as she smiles tiredly at the camera, which is being held by one of the midwives.

"I was a little shit," I correct with a laugh, remembering all the times I caused my mom terror in my childhood.

"Apparently you were a perfect child," Poseidon says, shrugging. "Your mom said so in her letter – the one she wrote for me. Apparently you never cried for attention and slept all through the night when you were born. And your eyes amazed her,"

I blink a couple of times. Personally, I've always thought my eyes are a little weird. I mean, they're so _dang_ bright and an unnatural shade of green. It's creepy.

Shrugging, I turn on to the next page. In this one I'm a couple of months old. My mom caught me in an act of crime.

"Wow," Poseidon says, chuckling. "You were a vandal at eight months old?"

I grin. The picture is of me sat on the floor with a tub of paint next to me, staring up at the camera with an innocent smile. The wall and floor are completely painted blue (their original colours were brown an beige) and you can hardly see my skin because I'm covered in so much of the paint.

"It's called creative art," I say, waving a hand dismissively. "See. I've always loved drawing,"

"Huh. Maybe you were a little shit,"

We go through the rest of the pictures. In all, there are about twenty. My favourite is one of me at the beach. I've only been to the beach once or twice, which sucks because I have a minor obsession with the ocean. The first time I went there was when I was five. In the picture I'm sat in the surf with a stubborn pout on my face, whilst behind me the sun sat. I think that my mom wanted to go home but I refused, and my stubbornness amused my mom so much that she took a picture to remember it and tease me. The best part about the picture is that I have a real starfish on my head – I found it and decided it would be my new best friend. I tell Poseidon this and he says we can get a starfish when we get home.

As I'd hoped, by the time we're through the photo album there are smiles on my face and my dad's.

"We need to finish it," Poseidon says, placing the album on the coffee table. "The album. There are loads of empty pages at the back,"

"For mom," I say. She would want that.

Poseidon nods. "For your mom,"

I stand up and leave the room again without explanation. When I return, I have a picture in my hand. I stick it into the latest page. Poseidon leans forwards curiously and smiles. The picture is the one painted on my toy shield; the one of me, Annabeth, Thalia and Nico. "Good?" I ask.

Poseidon nods. "Good,"

And with that, we fall silent. It's a comfortable silence. I'm not sure how long we just sit there. Usually my ADHD stops me from being able to sit still, but for now its calm. I enjoy the stillness for a while, and then hurry off to play with my cousins - spirits lifted.

Within a few hours, the thought of Kronos being a creep in a Saw mask has vanished.

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><p><strong>I've totally just improvised the second half. I'm trying to focus on my writing as well as watching the TV. I would make it better, however, I really wanna watch 'I'm A Celeb' and I also want this chapter out tonight. If you guys aren't happy with that, then I'm sorry, but y'know...TV is almost always priority. And I'm a teenager, so what do you expect?<strong>

**On the subject of being a teenager; in school today, I got a new nickname - IKEA. The reason why is my maths teacher has no idea how to say the name 'Kiera' (Ki-rah...which is my name...yeah) and calls me 'Key-ah' instead. So now I'm IKEA. Swedish furniture stores for the win, eh?**

**Okay, so that was random. You're probably thinking I'ma weirdo and everything, but meh. The TV is still distracting. I'm just gonna go now.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, so this chapter _may_ or _may not_ be late. I'm not entirely sure, though I'm pretty certain I was meant to update last night. I know, I'm terrible at this whole update-thing. Tonight, however, I'm not watching TV whilst writing, which means this chapter has had my undivided attention. Good, yeah? I'm not entirely sure that it merges well with the end of the last chapter, but _meh_. Whatever.**

**That's basically my attitude to life at the moment.**

**I hope that you enjoy this chapter - it's filled with further intensity, which you guys appear to like (which is good, because a lot more is on its way...*insert evil muahaha*). A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and added to favourites, by the way. I know that sometimes I forget to tell you that, but it's true. I'm really, really grateful for all the support! I read every review and thanks again to everyone who has left one. You're awesome!**

**So, I'll leave it at that. Warnings for SWEARING! If you are innocent and speak of no foul language, then this is not the story for you - then again, you wouldn't have made it this far XD Hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>Remember that 'argument' of sorts I had with Poseidon and he swore that he would get Hugh jailed for a reason<em> totally not related<em> to my past? Yeah, well, it looks like Poseidon's been busy. Yesterday morning, I saw in an article in the newspaper: _Man Arrested For Illegal Activities_. Beneath the headline is a picture of Hugh, stating that he'd been grassed up by many sources for doing all sorts of criminal stuff. I showed Poseidon the paper and he smiled knowingly.

"Well, he shouldn't be bothering us for another three years," he'd said cheerfully, sipping his coffee.

"I didn't tell you he was jailed for three years," I said, rolling my eyes. _Wow. Just wow. So subtle, dear father..._

"You didn't?"

"No,"

"I read the article earlier,"

"Suuuure," I muttered. "Were you involved in this?"

"Of course not...well, maybe a little," said Poseidon. I raised an eyebrow. "I simply talked to a few...ahem,_'friends'_,"

Personally, I didn't like the sound of that, nor the little air quotes he used. So I dropped the newspaper and waledk out of the room with another roll of my eyes. I have to admit – even though I feel like Poseidon's reaction to Hugh and his role in my past was a little...uhh, what's the word? _Fussy_ or whatever, at least now the bastard is locked up in jail for a few years. I can deal with that. Thank god I don't have to worry about Hugh going all creepy over me...

Anyway, that's old news. You should know - I have weird sleeping patterns. Some nights, I'll sleep like a log for twelve hours straight. Sometimes, I'll have a nightmare. And then other nights, I'll wake up to the tiniest sound or to nothing at all. Tonight is one of those nights. I wake up at three in the morning and I can't get back to sleep for the life of me. Recently, since living with Poseidon, it's usually because I'm not near my dad and something has unsettled me. In this case, Kronos. So naturally, I get out of bed and head to my dad's room, hoping that I'll find some sort of rest there.

I'm not joking when I say that Zeus's house is big. In the dark corridors, I'm lost instantly. I swear that Poseidon's room is just down the hall to me...it turns out it's not. _Well, fuck. Now I'm screwed. Which way is back to my room again?_

I wander the empty corridors silently, shivering slightly at the low temperature. I hate winter. It's so cold and glum. The only good thing about it is snow. I much prefer the summer – when the weather is warm and the sea is filled with more exotic fish. And it doesn't help that I'm wearing just a t-shirt. I wrap my arms around myself and focus my eyes through the darkness. I really need to find a light switch...

I eventually find a familiar room. Thalia's. I don't go in, but at least now I know where I am. A few minutes later I'm back in my room, hurrying towards my bed for warmth. I'll find Poseidon when it's a little lighter, I decide. I can last a few hours...and then I realise something is wrong.

My room at Zeus's place is fancy-pants as hell. I've got a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite bathroom and a balcony which overlooks the backyard where Thalia, Nico and I like to play. The doors to the balcony are wide open, allowing in a numbingly cold breeze that completely defeats the purpose of me coming in here to find warmth in the first place. I stare at it.

I _definitely_ did not open those doors.

Something moves in the corner. I take an instinctive step back, memories of my childhood flooding back. I remember some of mom's old boyfriends emerging from the shadows dramatically, fists raised..._no, damn it, don't think about that!_ I shake my head, focusing on the present. The balcony doors are open. There's something in my room that's freaking _moving_!

Before I can scamper from the room again and this time actually find Poseidon, Kronos appears, closer than I expect. I jump, shouting out in shock. But before it can fully escape my mouth, a hand clamps over it.

"Be quiet, child," Kronos whispers, hand muffling my shouts and screams as his other hand pushes me against the wall. The ADHD part of my mind notes his breath smells like sour milk. _Gross. Tic tacs, man, tic tacs! _"We wouldn't want to wake the family, would we?"

I fight against him, heart pounding – positively panicking. Why wouldn't I be? There's a psycho in my room and he's _touching_ me!

"Now," Kronos says. The hand covering my mouth pushes me back against the wall, and his other hand grips my shoulder tightly. "When I move my hand, you're going to be silent, understand?"

His tone isn't kind or comforting. It's cold and demanding. Overcome by fear, I nod. Kronos removes his hand. Even if I want to say something, my mouth refuses to move. As does the rest of my body. I mentally curse for being a coward.

Kronos smiles. "Good," he says. "You're obedient when you're scared. It's a family thing, don't worry. I should know,"

I gulp back the massive lump in my throat. "What are you doing here?" I whisper, terrified of both the man in front of me and the thought of what will happen if I wake everyone up.

"I," Kronos says, his other hand gripping my other shoulder. I wince as I feel the skin and bone both bruising under the pressure. For an aged man, he has one hell of a grip. Like, seriously, does he lift weights? "I'm not going to take you, if that's what you're thinking. Think of this as the...starter. Going straight to the main course – well, it's boring. Been there, done that. _This_ is much more entertaining,"

"Being a creep?" I mutter. I swear I meant to say it in my head. Kronos promptly slaps me, creating a nice, big red mark on my cheek. I wince, but don't comment. Like I said, I've been through this before. I know how it goes, even if I hate it.

"Being creative," Kronos corrects, sounding more like a reprimanding teacher than an angry psycho. "And I quite enjoy it. Your fear is amusing. I hope that I get to see more of it when you live with me,"

"I'll never live with you," I state.

Kronos smirks. "Are you sure?"

I nod confidently – which is surprising, considering the state my knees are in. Have they always been made of jelly? "Positive. Why do you want me, anyway? Why have you tried to steal your grandchildren at all?" I ask, making sure to keep my voice low. _One spanked cheek will do, thanks. _And hey, I might as well get as many answers out of him before...before something else happens.

"I'm sure that your dear father has told you. I want control. You see, I believe that the entire world should be under the control of one person. The only way to get that to happen is to start off slowly, with family, and steadily build power over other people until you have other families, towns – entire states under your command," Kronos says. He sounds like some sort of comic book villain.

"That's wishful thinking" I say to him, trying not to smirk as I imagine him with Loki's ridiculous golden helmet on his head.

"It worked for me for many years; until my wretched children disowned me," Kronos hisses, his tone as sour as his breathy. I try again not to smirk. Shout-out to young-Poseidon for pissing off Kronos.

My grandfather glances at the clock. "It's late," he muses, suddenly sounding all kind and caring. "You should be asleep, my child,"

"Yeah, about that...you're kind of in my room,"

Kronos releases my shoulders. It takes all my willpower not to run out of the room and scream for someone's help, however something tells me that if I dare try that, Kronos will take me _right now_ and do something horrible to me. So I stay still.

"I'll be back soon, Percy," Kronos says.

"You're...not going to take me?" I ask. "I thought that's what you wanted,"

"Oh, no. Not right away, anyway. That's far too boring. No. I'll be in touch, Percy. Sleep well,"

And with that, he steps on to the balcony and closes the doors. I hear a click, indicating that they've been locked, though how Kronos locked them from the outside, I'll never know.

I only realise then how badly my legs are trembling. Forget jelly, they feel like honey. I drop to my knees, taking in deep gulps of breaths, trying to steady my rapid heartbeat. "Oh my god..." I breathe. "Oh...my...god..."

He was in my room. Kronos was in my freaking room. I rub one of my aching shoulders and wince as my fingertips brush over my slapped cheek. Behind my eyes I feel tears threatening to spill. My god, I'm such a wimp. But he was _in my room_. Have I mentioned that?

"Dad..." I whisper, trying to climb to my feet, but they're too weak. I collapse again. Dad. I need my dad. I don't care what Kronos will do to me if I go to him. I try a couple of times again to move, but it's no use. Eventually, after an hour, I lie down right there on my bedroom floor besides the door and curl into a ball. I end up crying myself to sleep – too downright terrified to move.

When I wake up, I'm still curled up next to the wall. I push myself to my feet, confused, and crack my stiff neck.

_What the heck happened?_ I think, wincing with the movement. It takes a couple of minutes to everything to come back in my tired, hazed mind.

Kronos. He was in my room. No. No, no, no, no. Impossible. I glance at the door and check the handle – locked. I open it and step outside. Closing it again, I check for a lock on this side. There is none. Kronos was in my room? But that had to have been a dream. No way did he get in here. No way. Poseidon said I'd be safe and the security around Zeus's house is impeccable. But my shoulders hurt and it all seemed so real...

I stumble into the bathroom, looking at the mirror. Honestly, there isn't anything weird about my face. One of my cheeks is a little rosier than the other, but that might be because it was pressed against the carpet all night. Maybe it was a dream – a terrible nightmare that part of my brain thought was real, so my body tried to escape. I've sleep-walked before, so it wouldn't be new. Maybe that's why I woke up lying next to the wall. But then why do my shoulders hurt?

_It's nothing_, I think to myself. _It was a dream..._surely_ it was a dream..._

I shower quickly, taking a good look at my shoulders. Huh. They're bruised. I don't think they were like that last night, either... I shake my head. "Snap out of it," I hiss to myself, rapping my skull with my knuckles. "It was just a dream,"

Even to myself, I don't sound so sure.

I head to breakfast quickly, not wanting to stay in my room on my own for too long. It's Saturday morning – thank god, there isn't any school today. I'm way too tired to even _care_ about numbers and letters and all that rubbish.

As I expect, Poseidon is sat at the dining table drinking coffee and talking politely to Zeus, pointedly ignoring Hera and occasionally exchanging a conversation with one of his nieces or nephews. I sit next to him as I usually do.

"Sleep well?" Poseidon asks, handing me a plate of my favourite blueberry pancakes. I've developed an addiction to them, just as I have to the TV and snuggling (gosh, it sounds so babyish when it's said like that...) "You look a little pale,"

I frown, swallowing a bit of pancake I'd torn off. "Do I?"

"Yeah, a little,"

"I think I might have sleep-walked last night," I say to him, carefully cutting the rest of the pancakes (Hera is giving me evils for tearing off a bit with my fingers). "I woke up next to the door,"

"Next to the door?" Poseidon repeats, a small, amused smile on his face. I nod, trying to mirror the smile and look as casual as possible. Last thing I want is for panic to spread like it had when I found that note in my bedroom at home.

"You must sleep-talk as well, Percy," Hermes says from opposite me. "I swear I could hear someone talking in your room last night,"

I frown deeper. "You did?"

Hermes nods. "Yeah. I couldn't make out any words, but it sounded a bit like you. Have you ever talked in your sleep before?"

"No...no, I don't think so,"

This is creepy. I wake up next to the door, the place I cried myself to sleep in my dream. My shoulders hurt where dream-Kronos gripped them. My cheek is weirdly tender. Hermes heard voices in my room last night. What the hell?

_You idiot_, a voice says in my head. _It wasn't a dream!_

My face falls in horror. "Oh, fuck..." I breathe, heart pounding.

"Language!" Hera shrieks, her radar hearing somehow picking up my quiet curse. I ignore her, gaping at my plate, trying my hardest not to begin hyperventilating.

"You okay, Percy?" Poseidon asks.

I glance up at him. Oh gods, Kronos was in my room. He was in my _bloody_ bedroom! How am I meant to tell him that? Poseidon will _freak_ when he finds out! What if Kronos comes back? I thought that I'd be safe here at Zeus's. If I'm not safe here, where _am_ I safe? And what about my family? Nico! Nico's young and practically defenceless. If Kronos managed to sneak into the grounds when he's on his own and...gods, I don't even want to imagine it...

"I..." I stutter, trying to find the words. "I...um, I need to go back to my room,"

Everyone's attention was focused on me. "What for?" Thalia asks, leaning across the table curiously. I look at everyone – no, I don't want to say it in front of them.

"I'll be back in a minute," I say, standing and trying my hardest not to sprint out of the room. I notice Poseidon going to stand as well, but I shoot him a look over my shoulder, somehow conveying to him that I'm fine. Sort of.

I head to my room and go out on to the balcony, searching for anything that could indicate my dream had been real. I find a scrap of paper on the floor, like the one on my bed at home, with three words written on it with the exact same fountain pen.

_Still feel safe?_

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><p><strong>I know, I know, I'm evil. My name means something along the lines of 'the dark one', which might explain it. My name could also mean 'the dark-haired one', which isn't right. My hair is blonde and I'm the only blonde out of my siblings. Derp. What was my mum thinking? By the way, if you guys find out what my name is from just that meaning, virtual cookies for you. Some of you may know, because I've mentioned it ONCE in a chapter, but, yeah...that's your challenge.<strong>

**Hope you guys are all having fabulous weeks. My weekend was good - I beat my older brother at go-karting XD He claims to have let me win, but I don't believe him. My fastest lap was 0.2 of a second faster than his and it was also the fastest of the day. I _love_ go-karting. I don't know if I've mentioned, but I study motor vehicle engineering in school, and at some point we're going to go on a go-karting trip. I'm the only girl whoes does MVE...and I'm gonna whoop everyone's ass on the track. Just to prove a point that girls are good drivers too.**

**So, yeah, that's a little about me. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter - I enjoyed writing it, though I'm not sure whether it's realistic. Creepy granddads can sneak into young boy's rooms, right? Oh, gods, it sounds weird when it's put like that. The mental images! DX Anyway, if you have a suggestion or a comment or whatever, please leave it in a review so I can improve my writing.**

**I'm gonna leave it here now, because I've babbled. Hope that you guys have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you when I next update! Thank you and goodbye! :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, okay, I know - I'm a day late. I'm sorry, but I was busy all of today and yesterday and just completely forgot that I had to update. Please don't kill me. I'll try not to let it happen again.**

**Well, you guys guessed my name: Kiera. I did mention it in Chapter 18 at the end, when I was explaining my nickname 'IKEA'. Kiera means 'the dark-haired one' and it's Irish. Though I'm not quite sure what my mum was thinking when she called me that. Out of all my siblings, I'm the only blonde. Derp. I know it was probably a stupid question to ask, since I'd already mentioned, but oh well. Now, my question for you guys - what do _your_ names mean?**

**So, I won't keep you for long. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and added to favourites! We're nearing 200 reviews and we're only 20 chapters in! That's insane! I did promise a one-shot to celebrate 100 reviews, but I've not had any inspiration or suggestions for what to write just yet, so I'll probably put it off for a while until something comes to me. Again, if you guys have anything you want to see, leave it in a review. If I like the idea, I'll go ahead and write it up :)**

**That's all for now! This chapter isn't as serious of the last, which gives you guys a break from stressing (XD). Warnings for possible swearing and references to child abuse and drugs. Yup. Hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>Go ahead. Call me an idiot. I'll totally agree with you if you do. I should tell Poseidon about Kronos being in my room and the creepy note I found on my balcony. But I can't. I don't know <em>how<em>! You go ahead and try telling your overprotective dad that his crazy dad broke into the place that he thought would be safest for you. Go on...

Not easy, is it?

I don't want to tell Poseidon either. If I do, he'll panic. I probably won't even be allowed to go to school, never mind be left alone ever again. Most of all, it will hurt Poseidon if I tell him. I know that even the mention of Kronos brings back bad memories for him; just like mentioning Hugh makes me think of my past. I don't want to hurt my dad. And anyway, Kronos was probably joking. He won't risk sneaking into my room again, will he? He isn't going to hurt me, or try and take me. At least, I don't think he will.

Today is my birthday. Thalia and Nico wake me up on the morning with bright smiles and hugs; Poseidon follows them into the room, grinning wider than I've ever seen him grin before. "What day's it today, birthday boy?" he asks, sitting down on the edge of my bed and giving me a one-armed hug.

"Custody day," I grin, unable to contain my excitement. My eyes flicker to the balcony doors, which I've carefully kept locked at all times. I flood with relief when I see them closed. He's not here. Kronos_ isn't_ going to get in the way of today.

I get my first present at breakfast – a cellphone. Poseidon's been saying that I need one for a while, and Hades and Zeus both put a bit of money forwards each to buy it for me (however with the amount of money they both have, they could have each bought the latest cellphone for all of my cousins).

"What's with all the kindness?" Poseidon asks as he helps me set up the awesome Samsung phone. "Seriously – neither of you have ever been so nice,"

"He's our nephew," Zeus shrugs.

"And we're not always mean," Hades points out, the scowl on his face indicating that he'd much rather take the phone back. Both Nico and Thalia are smirking at them. I have a feeling that they're responsible for almost everything nice my uncles have done these past few weeks.

Hestia arrives at Zeus's place at 10am. For my birthday, she's gotten me the diving gear I'd hinted I want, so I can swim in the tanks at the aquarium all day without coming up for air. Apparently Poseidon chipped in a bit, too. He hasn't gotten me anything for my birthday except for the custody papers. Not that I'm bothered. Officially becoming his son is enough.

I get a couple of things from my cousins, too. Thalia and Nico have both created a new photo album for me – it's not got many pictures yet (only four or five) but they say that as the years go by, I can add more of all the time I spend with them and my new family, and I've also added the photos from my other album to it. Hephaestus has made me this neat pen which apparently bleeps if it gets left behind, because in school I'm always losing my pens and I think my cousin got a little annoyed when I lost his favourite one last week. Hermes gives me some awesome converse – they're blue with graffiti designs on them. He says he got them months ago, but never wore them because they didn't fit. Apollo and Artemis give me an iPod; again, its second hand, but neither of them have used it because they kept arguing over it.

Dionysus and Ares don't get me anything, which I'm also not bothered about. I don't really get along with those two cousins. Dionysus is constantly drunk or hung-over and Ares is freakishly violent for a fourteen year old. To be honest, I didn't expect _any_ of my cousins to get me anything. The fact that they did is extremely heart-warming.

Finally, at about 1pm, Annabeth and surprisingly Grover are dropped off at Zeus's place by Athena. I never realised that Thalia had informed Annabeth about my birthday, and apparently she told Grover. She comes with a necklace for me.

"The three of us all have one," she says, motioning to herself, Thalia and Nico as she helps me put it on. The string is made out of leather and sits at the base of my neck, and the bead on it is clay. "And every year, on New Years Eve, I make a new us all new beads that represent what significant things have happened this year,"

"Why don't you wait until New Years, then?" I ask, fingering the little green bead with an image of a golden trident on it.

"You can't just have an empty necklace until New Years, can you?" Thalia asks. I've only just realised that she, Nico and Annabeth always wear these necklaces. "Annabeth will make the rest of us beads to match yours then,"

Thalia and Annabeth's necklaces have three beads on them, whilst Nico's has just two. On Thalia and Annabeth's necklaces, there's a purple bead with an owl on it, a blue bead with a lightning bolt, and a black bead with a white swirl on it. Nico's necklace has the same, but without the first purple bead.

"Thank you," I say, smiling at Annabeth who smiles back shyly. "What do they mean, though?"

"The purple one represents the year Thalia and I met," says Annabeth. "The blue one represents the year my mom started working with Zeus and me and Thalia became best friends. The black one represents the year I met Nico and we gave him a necklace too,"

"The green bead means you," Nico adds. "The year you became part of our family,"

I grin, mentally promising never to take the little necklace off. "Thank you," I say again. "This is awesome. I love it,"

Annabeth blushes and punches my shoulder ten times.

Grover, who'd been in the toilet, emerges with his present for me. "I wasn't sure what to get you," he says sheepishly, holding the little parcel in his hands.

"It's alright, man, you didn't need to get me anything," I tell him.

"Yeah, well..." he hands me the box. "Happy birthday, Percy,"

I open the parcel. Inside, is a wooden model of a little man. It's hand-crafted, by the looks of it – a man, stood on what seems to be a wave, stood tall with a superior look on his face and trident in his hand.

"It's the sea god," Grover explains, blushing deeply. The sea god. That explains the trident on my bead, and the little paintings on my sword and shield Hephaestus made me the other week. The trident is the symbol of the sea god. Fitting, huh? "I thought that because you love swimming and stuff so much...i-it's not very good..."

I grin at him. "Did you make this, Grover?"

My friend nods. "Most of it, I guess. But my uncle helped with a lot too..."

"It's amazing. I never knew that you were good at woodwork," I say, turning the statue over in my hands. "Dang, look at the detail..."

"Thanks," Grover mutters, his face bright red. "I-I'm glad you like it,"

"You," Thalia says, throwing her arm around his trembling shoulders. "Could be best friends with Hephaestus if he wasn't so moody. You're cool, Grover,"

Grover smiles at her, and like that he relaxes around us – finally. He always seems to be so nervous around everyone. Hopefully, Annabeth will have another necklace made for him soon, so that we all have one by the time it's New Year's Eve.

I only have about ten minutes to mess about and play with my cousins and best friends before Poseidon comes into the bedroom where we're hanging. "Hey, Percy," he says. "Time to go get the papers,"

I grin, pulling on my shoes and coat in under a second, and follow him out to the car.

"Where did you get that necklace from?" Poseidon asks as we drive, glancing over to me.

"Annabeth," I say, still playing with the bead. "She, Nico and Thalia all have one,"

Miss Martha is waiting for us at the home. The papers have all been finalised and stuff – all that they need to become official is a signature off of me and Poseidon. Poseidon signs them instantly before passing the papers to me.

I make sure to use the pen Hephaestus gave me to quickly print my name on the dotted line (my Dyslexia, for the first time, not getting in the way). Poseidon gives me a one-armed hug again and Miss Martha kisses my cheek, beaming. It's not often kids are actually taken from the home permanently. Usually, their parents come, get tired of them and bring them back. Poseidon and I, however, have agreed that that will never happen.

When Poseidon asks me, I decide to keep my last name. Before I signing the papers, I was just Percy Jackson. Now, after signing them, my name is Percy Jackson-Olympia. I've kept both my mom's name and gained my father's. It's official. I'm Poseidon's son – for real, now. Officially. Poseidon is my one and only carer. Hestia or Zeus are to care for me if anything happens to him. I'm never going to be alone again, and I know it.

Back at Zeus's place, everyone's practically throwing a party. Most of the family (i.e., everyone except Ares, Dionysus and Hera) are gathered in the living room. A little buffet has been set out rather than us having a regular lunch. Nico and Thalia's made a small banner with my new, official name on it. Everyone seems to love the fact that I'm part of the family. Even Hades, my rather sour, quiet uncle, offers me a small, hardly noticeable smile. "Welcome to the family, kid," he mutters. "You're gonna hate it,"

"Thanks, uncle," I grin. I glance over at Poseidon and know that he saw the exchange, judging by the bright smile on his face.

Everything is brilliant. The hours practically fly by – I bounce between family members, having all sorts of fun. Hephaestus gives me a little lecture on the mechanics of a car breaking system. Hermes and Apollo teach me a few cool dance moves. Zeus lets me have a go at flying his remote-control helicopter. Most of the time, however, I'm stood with Poseidon, Annabeth, Thalia, Nico or Grover.

No one settles down until the sky outside starts to turn orange. I can safely safe that today has been the best day of my life – compared to how it was almost a year ago, when I was just recovering from the death of my mom. My mom. In about a month, she'll have been dead for a year. A year. My mom's been gone for an entire year. The thought of that almost put a frown on my face, but then Apollo starts singing. My eyes widen at the familiar song. Bon Jovi. I've always listened to their music – when I was little, I remember my mom would sing their songs to me. One song in particular she called 'Percy's Song'. It was '_Born To Be My Baby'._ I used to sing too, but then mom died and I just stopped. It was too much of a reminder of my now, the memory of my mom isn't as painful at it was. If anything, singing feels like it could be a happy reminder. Before I can even think about what I'm doing, I open my mouth and sing along.

For a moment, everyone is shocked. Poseidon is the first one to recover and throws an arm around my shoulders. "You're amazing," he says. "You know Bon Jovi?"

"Pft, yeah!" I scoff. "They're, like, the best band in the world!"

"Sing-song, everybody!" Hermes shouts.

Bon Jovi must be a family favourite, because _everyone_ (and I mean everyone) is singing. Thalia and Nico are arm-in-arm. Zeus and Hades both have small smiles on their faces. Annabeth and Grover apparently know the song too. Even Poseidon is singing, eyes sparkling. Apollo leads the son, obviously, being the best (and probably most confident) singer out of all of us.

The guitar solo begins and everyone chuckles and talks through it. "You've changed this family completely," Poseidon mutters in my ear. "Never, in a thousand years, would we have done this before you came along,"

I smile at him. "I'm glad," I say. "This is awesome," Neither of us are able to say much more because the solo has suddenly finished. The sing-song finishes just a minute or so later.

"A toast," Thalia shouts once we'd finished, standing on a table with lemonade in a champagne glass. "To Percy – the newest member of the Olympia family!"

"Percy!" my family chorus. My dad appears at my side and hugs me. I hide my tomato-red face in his shirt, drawing chuckles from everyone. Apollo announces another song and we all keep singing, all the way through the night until Nico is passed out on the sofa and Athena comes to pick up Annabeth and Grover.

That evening, I go to bed in high spirits. Poseidon comes with me. For the first time this past week, I'm not scared of my bedroom or Kronos. I'm way too happy for that. Once I'm changed into my pyjamas and in bed, Poseidon hands me an envelope.

"I thought you'd want to read this," he says softly. "It's the letter your mom left me telling me about you. She wrote it before she went to jail,"

"I thought it wasn't very child-friendly," I say, yet clutch it to my chest all the same as though it's a check of money.

"You're no ordinary child," Poseidon says, stroking my hair. "You're special. You were forced to grow up too early for your own good. Sometimes I forget how young you are,"

"Double figures today," I remind him with a grin.

Poseidon nods. "Double figures. You can keep the letter, by the way. If you want. I must have read it hundreds of times anyway,"

"Are you sure?" I hesitate.

"Absolutely," he leans down to kiss my head before standing. "Sleep well,"

"You too," I say, and before he can leave the room, I call. "Today has been amazing, by the way. The best day of my life, really,"

"Mine too,"

And with that, he leaves. I glance down at the slightly tattered envelope in my hands, fingers playing with the seal. This is the last thing I have of my mom. Her final words, technically; explaining her true intentions and feelings and thoughts. I hesitate. Should I read it? I have a feeling that it might spoil my day if I do. What's inside this envelope...surely it can't be good.

With trembling fingers, I pull out the letter. I read it carefully, and even my Dyslexia can't rub away my determination. I've managed to read it all within an hour, and a tear rolls down my cheek.

"Thanks, mom," I mutter, glancing out the window. The moon is shining eerily over the garden – my garden, which I share with my cousins. I was wrong. The letter hasn't spoilt my day. It's made it better. With a small smile, I stick the letter back into the envelope, reseal it, and place it on my nightstand.

I lie down, still facing the moon. My mom liked the moon, too. When she was loopy on drugs, she said she wished that she could walk on it one day. Her boyfriend said she was being stupid and slapped her. But my mom didn't back down. She muttered something about if she were dead and a ghost, she could do it. She could live on the moon. I remember thinking how well you must be able to see the world from up there. From the moon, you can probably see everyone and anyone.

Smiling softly, I close my eyes. I could almost imagine the moon's pearly rays as a soft hand, stroking my cheek as I drift away.

Today has certainly been a good day.

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><p><strong>So, yeah, that's it. Percy's birthday. Cuteness and fluffiness towards the end, I suppose. And lots of family fun, of course. Even though it's 2800 words long, this feels pretty short. To make up for being late I'm going to update Sunday, when I can confirm there will be a very...interesting chapter. Very interesting indeed. One reviewer suggested an idea for the plot...you probably know who you are XD *insert evil laugh*<strong>

**Anyway, my favourite band is Bon Jovi, if you haven't guessed. I did originally have the song lyrics included in the writing, however I thought it would be a little weird or annoying for some of you to have to read them. The song used was 'Because We Can' by Bon Jovi, which _I do not own_, before anyone tries to sue me or whatever. If you're interested in hearing it, go ahead and listen to it. The idea of 'Percy's song' comes from an old memory of mine. When my baby sister was born, me and my other sister and my mum would dance around singing 'Born To Be My Baby' together and we called it '*insert little sister's name here*'s song*.**

**Okay, so, that's it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As mentioned, things will be getting _a lot more interesting _next chapter, so look forward to that update XD If you did enjoy this chapter, please review and tell me how it was. I think it was okay, I guess, but...well, yeah.**

**I'll leave it there. Have a lovely weekend, guys!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello, guys, it's me, and today we have chapter twenni-wan! It's a day early, because the last chapter was a day late. Sorry 'bout that.**

**So, I'm not gonna keep you guys for long. One: a big thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and added to favourites. As always, it's greatly appreciated. I know I say it almost every chapter, but I feel bitchy and ungrateful if I don't say it. So, yeah :P Two: some of you told me the meanings of your names in the reviews. I have to say, they're all really interesting meanings. I've always loved researching what names mean. I don't know why. I have too much free time XD**

**This is the 'interesting' chapter I promised. I hope that you all enjoy it. Again, I won't keep you for long. Warnings for: swearing and hinted child abuse/sexual-stuff (ew...it always feels weird writing about that). Enjoy reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>My birthday was a week ago. Poseidon and I have been told that we're free to go back to our house in two more weeks after the new security system is installed by Zeus's company (which is an airline company, yes, but has a lot of connections). It'll make sure that Kronos can't get on to our property without permission. And permission will be impossible for him, so...yeah.<p>

The happiness I felt on my birthday has worn off. In the evenings, I go to bed terrified that my grandfather is lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to go to sleep before doing god-knows-what. I know that I should tell someone. I really should. But there's only one person that I really trust enough not to tell one of the adults yet still help me out with it.

I ask Annabeth to come with me to the garden, because Thalia isn't here (she's with Artemis at the badass girl scouts – god help us) and Nico and Hades aren't visiting today. Athena dropped her off this morning without warning because she's so busy with work. Geez – Zeus flipping owns the company, and even he doesn't have as much work to do as her. Personally, I think she's just making excuses, but I don't say anything to Annabeth about it.

I notice that my friend looks extremely down today. "What's wrong?" I ask as we sit on a bench besides the fountain.

"Nothing," Annabeth says, glancing up at me.

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Nothing? You seriously expect me to believe that it's 'nothing'? You should see your face, Annabeth, coz it's gloomier than the old children's home I stayed in,"

Annabeth flushes. "Sorry...I'm just thinking,"

_Big surprise. _"About what?"

"My mom," Annabeth sighs. "She's just always so busy. I hardly see her except when she's driving me to and from places. Even on my birthday – work comes first. It always comes first..."

"Wait, what?" I say, blinking. "Birthday?"

"Yep. Today's my birthday," Annabeth says, smiling timidly. "Nine years old. Exactly a week after yours..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask her, feeling a bit hurt. Are we friends or are we not? "I haven't even got you anything!"

"You don't have to get me anything-,"

"Yes I do, you're my best friend,"

Annabeth pauses. "I am?" she asks, sounding shocked.

I roll my eyes. "What the heck does this mean, then?" I question, tugging my necklace out of my shirt with my thumb. Annabeth blushes again and shrugs. We fall silent as I wrack my brains, trying to remember what I have up in my room that could be deemed a suitable present-

_Aha_! I smirk in triumph, jumping off the bench. "Stay right here," I order Annabeth before sprinting into the house. Annabeth shouts after me, but I ignore her. I reach my room in record timing and hurry over to my drawers. I tug open the sock drawer and search through it for a particular bunch of old socks. I find the ball a second later and pull out the little piece of jewellery I stashed inside it.

My mom's ring. I found it in a box under her bed in her bedroom before I was taken to the children's home after her death. When she was little, her mom gave it her. It's been passed down through the women of my family for generations. Mom used to wear it all the time, but when one of her boyfriends tried to steal it, she took it off for good and hid it. It's a simple little silver band, a little scuffed from many years of being worn, encrusted with a small tear-drop shaped emerald and a few diamonds. Mom did have the option to sell it for money (and not be a...well...) but she didn't want to. She was afraid it would end up in bad care if she did. Luckily, I know the best person to take care of it for her. I stare at the ring for a second before sprinting back out of the room.

Thankfully, Annabeth is still sat in the same place as earlier. "Close your eyes," I pant, sitting back next her on the bench. Annabeth hesitates before obliging. I grab her hand, open her fist, and place the ring inside it. I close her fist again and Annabeth frowns. I wait a second before telling her to open her eyes.

Annabeth gasps. "Percy!" she exclaims, eyes widening at the sight of the beautiful ring in her hand, turning it over in her hands.

"Happy birthdaaay," I sing, grinning.

"You can't give me this," Annabeth squeaks at me. "It must be worth a fortune!"

"I know. It was my mom's," I say. "She was given it by her mom, who was given it to her by her mom...it's like a family treasure. Every girl in my family has owned it, and since I'm not a girl, I don't really need it. I want you to have it,"

"I-I can't!" says Annabeth, trying to hand it me back. But I refuse, smirking. Annabeth glares at me. "Perseus Jackson-Olympia, you listen to me – this ring is worth a _fortune _and it's been in your family for years! You can't just _give _it me-,"

"Why not? You're my best friend,"

"I don't care! Wait until you have a daughter or something,"

"You know how forgetful I am – by the time I have a daughter, I'll have lost it," I say with a roll of my eyes. "My mom never sold it, even when we were desperate for money, because she didn't want it to be treated badly. It meant a lot to her and I know that you out of everybody will take good care of it. And if it makes you feel better, I'll even take it back if I do have a daughter in the future. And besides, this is what you get for not mentioning your birthday. I could have gotten you something normal but nooo..."

Annabeth's face is bright red – both from anger and probably flattery. "Fine," she grumbles after a couple of seconds; clearly realising that she isn't getting out of this.

"Put it on," I grin, happy that she's given in. Annabeth doesn't move, so I reach over and slide it on her fourth finger for her. It's too big for her, and probably will be for a couple of years. "There," I say. "It looks nice,"

"It's beautiful," Annabeth corrects, trying her best to make it fit. She clicks her tongue with a sigh. "My god, Seaweed-Brain, you're a massive idiot for giving me this, but thank you anyway. I love it,"

"Good," I say. "I'm glad you do,"

Annabeth frowns as she tries it on all of her fingers, but none of them fit it on.

"Put it on your necklace," I suggest. I know that Hera always wears her wedding and engagement rings on a necklace because she and Zeus got engaged and married in Greece, where the heat makes you swell. As a result, her rings didn't fit when she returned to America, and she didn't want to replace them. So she wears them on a necklace. **(a/n my step-mum does this) **"Just for a couple of years, until it fits you properly,"

"Good idea," says Annabeth. She reaches up to undo her necklace, but I can see she's having trouble, so I jump over to the back of the bench so I'm stood behind her and take it off for her whilst Annabeth holds her hair out of my way. She slips the ring on to the leather string and I help her put it back on again.

"Perfect," we both say as I sit back in my place. Annabeth grins at me and reaches over to hug me – which, for a second, shocks me. Annabeth has never properly hugged me before (unless you count tackling me to the floor, and the hug when I had a nightmare was more of a half-hug) but I hug her back anyway. Something about it makes me blush deeply and I can imagine Thalia mocking us in some way she were here. Thankfully, we pull away a second later.

"This is my favourite present," Annabeth whispers. I can tell that she doesn't mean for me to hear her, but I do. I fight off the urge to grin.

I remember what I'd actually invited Annabeth to the garden to talk about.

"I need to tell you something," I say in a low voice, as though there is a possibility that someone can hear us.

"What?" Annabeth asks, tilting her head to the side with curiosity.

I gnaw on my lip nervously. "I've...I've been keeping a secret," I admit, drawing my knees to my chest on the bench and fiddling with my fingernails, cutting them short as I do when I'm nervous. "And it's been playing on my mind a lot. But when I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else – my dad especially. Can you do that?"

Annabeth looks weary. "What have you done?"

"I've not done anything. Can you please just promise me, please?"

We're silent for many minutes. Annabeth studies my face cautiously for before nodding, curiosity clearly taking over. "Alright," she says. "I promise. What is it?"

"About two weeks ago, the week before my birthday, I woke up thinking I'd had a bad dream," I say. "I dreamt that I'd woken up in the middle of the night and gone out of my room to look for Poseidon, but I couldn't find him because it was so dark. When I returned to my room, my balcony doors were open and Kronos was in there,"

Annabeth nods slowly, still looking weary. I keep biting my lip with nervousness, a horrible lump forming in my throat – from having to recount the story and from the guilt of not telling Poseidon. "Go on," Annabeth urges as I fall silent.

"He covered my mouth before I could make a sound. He pinned me against the wall. We had a conversation and he slapped me. Then he left after telling me he'd be back," I tell her. "In my dream, I fell asleep besides the door. When I woke up, I was in the same place,"

"You sleepwalk?" Annabeth asks. I can see that she's catching on, but she doesn't want to say it.

I shrug. "That's what I thought. When I got a shower, I realised that my shoulders were sore and bruised. But I brushed it off. I went to breakfast and spoke to my dad – y'know, just normal stuff. I said I'd sleep-walked from my bed to my door. Hermes said he heard voices talking in my room,"

Annabeth gasps silently, eyes widening. She doesn't say anything, however. I pause for a second, waiting until she nods before continuing.

"I started to panic. I thought it had been a dream. I said that I needed to go to my room and all but ran there. I went out on to my balcony, where I'd seen Kronos leave. There was a note on the floor. It said _'Still feel safe?_'"

"It wasn't a dream, was it?" Annabeth asks. I shake my head. "Kronos got into your house? H-He was in your room-,"

"Shh!" I exclaim. "Keep your voice down,"

"Percy, why haven't you told anyone?" Annabeth demands, ignoring my request to stay quiet. "This is serious. What if he comes back-?!"

"I know, I know. I'm stupid," I interrupt with a grumble, a little peeved off at her attitude. "But I'm scared as well, Annabeth. And I don't want to hurt Poseidon,"

"It'll hurt him to know that you've kept this from him, Percy!"

"Yeah, well you're not making it any better," I snap, standing. I thought that Annabeth would be nice about this – sympathetic and friendly and nice. But she's not. She's suddenly turned into the Wicked Witch of the West and is hissing at me for what I've done. Doesn't she understand? Kronosfreaking _terrifies_ me. I hate to admit it, but he does. Trying to tell someone that the creep was in my room is easier said than done.

"Percy, come back," Annabeth huffs as I storm away. I know; it's a childish move, but my ADHD doesn't really give a damn. "Percy!"

I stride out of sight – behind a tall row of hedges near the back of the garden. I recognise this site as one of the hiding spots me and my cousins use. Usually, it brings a smile on my face. But all I can manage now is an irritated scowl. I can hear Annabeth still shouting my name, getting more and more frustrated with every second.

Before I can turn around and shout something snarky back at her, something grabs me. An arm wraps around my neck and a hand slaps over my mouth – but not before I can let out a shocked shout. I kick and wrestle against the unfamiliar grasp as I'm pulled closer towards the back of the garden.

I hear Annabeth yell my name again, this time urgent. She runs around the corner and her face floods with horror and fear. Clearly, whoever has hold of me isn't one of my cousins messing around. I manage to bite the person's hand that is covering my mouth, letting me speak for a split second.

"Annabeth RUN!" I shout at her on instinct. The thought of Annabeth – one of my closest friends – being hurt is almost unbearable. But she's frozen in shock. A man in a black ski mask jumps out and grabs her too. "NO!"

Something covers my mouth again, but this time it isn't a hand that I can bite into. It's a rather damp cloth that's so strongly scented with what I think is bleach that it completely fogs up my mind. I feel my eyes grow heavy like someone's attached weight to my eyelids. I try to fight against the person holding me but something has cut off the connection between my brain and limbs. Just a second later, my head droops and I fall limp.

I'm dragged through the garden to the wall at the back of it, which surrounds the entire property. One man in a black ski mask uses a box to climb on top of it and the man who has hold of me tosses me up to him. I'm pulled over the wall and tossed into a van parked on the other side of it. Someone else – Annabeth, probably, is thrown in behind me and the doors slam shut.

Even though the cloth has been removed, I can feel myself getting drowsier. I struggle to even move my mouth. "A-Annabeth..." I can't see her. My vision is getting darker. But no, I need her...I don't want to be alone. Not again. Now now of all times.

Something grips my hand and I feel myself holding it tightly like it's my lifeline. If I wasn't so damn drugged up, I'd be panicking. Annabeth probably would be too. Who the heck has taken us? I mean, clearly this is a kidnapping...

Oh. This is a kidnapping.

Well, shit.

I feel the van moving beneath me and that's all I remember before my eyes close and I fall unwillingly unconscious. I can't help but feel sorry for Annabeth. Today is her birthday...

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><p><strong>Omfg I feel so evil DX Poor Percy. I really want him to have a proper childhood and now...ugh, I feel bad. Is it bad that I feel bad for giving a fictional character a bad life? I think that's pretty bad.<strong>

**So...the next few chapters are going to be pretty dark, I'll warn you now. There's going to be _a little_ Percabeth, of course (as you just saw in this chapter - d'aww, I loved it) and they're both going to eventually be alright again...sort of. It depends on how you look at it. *Insert evil laugh* Anyway, what did you guys _think_ of this chapter? I'd love to know whether or not you enjoyed it, and your thoughts on what's going to happen...**

**Anyway, please leave a review if you were a fan of this chapter. If you have any suggestions or pointers about my writing, then please feel free to tell me. I'm totally open to anything that will help improve my writing! Follow, add to favourites and all that stuff. I know that _everyone_ says this, but I always feel more compelled to update when I get reviews.**

**Hey, look, I'm not babbling as much today! So, I'm gonna leave this here. As usual - hope you enjoyed and have a brilliant week (tomorrow's Monday...Lord, kill me now). :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Three things. One) I'm late, I know, and I'm sorry. Two) I have to hurry up writing this because I'm going out soon. Three) This morning I was surprised with my birthday present - a day out at only the best place in the world. Harry Potter world!**

**So I woke up this morning to a letter that had been slipped under my door with my name, 'room on the corner', and my address and stuff. Inside was a letter with a ticket that said I was spending the day in HPW. The first thing I did was message my friends XD I'm a _massive _Harry Potter nerd, if you haven't noticed. So this is big. Really big. I'm _finally_ going to have my own wand!**

**Anyway...you probably don't care about all that, so I'm gonna move on to the important stuff. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and added to favourites! We're on 196 reviews right now! That's _awesome_! Four more reviews and we reach 200 XD Think you guys can do it? As a birthday present? Haha, just kidding.**

**So, yeah, shit went down last chapter. Percy and Annabeth...well, you'll have to read to find out. Hope that you enjoy this chapter (I really have to hurry because I'm leaving soon and I'm still not dressed). Warnings for: swearing, _highly suggested abuse_ (keep in mind that Percy and Annabeth have been kidnapped, guys, so I'm warning you now! Stuff will be described) and other stuff. Yeah. If you guys find this sort of thing...uh, disturbing, which it is, then you might wanna just...I don't know...skim the next couple of chapters.**

**Got to go now! I'll write a quick thing at the bottom - once again, hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p><strong><span>Percy's POV<span>**

When I finally wake, my head is aching. I groan as my eyes open, expecting to see the sunlight drifting through my bedroom window. But then I realise that I'm not even somewhere that's remotely _like_ my bedroom at Zeus's. The light is dim; it's cold and the bed beneath me is hard. Wait, it isn't a bed. It's a floor. Well, at least my pillow is comfortable...never mind, this isn't a pillow either. It's someone's lap.

"Percy, are you awake?" Annabeth asks quietly. I blink through my dizzy vision and see her above me. It's her lap that's acting as a cushion for my aching head.

"Yeah..." I mutter, raising a hand to rub my eyes, and wincing at even that small movement. "Ow...where are we?"

Annabeth glances around, her grey eyes sparkling fearfully. It takes me a second to realise that the sparkling is actually from tears. "I don't know," she replies shakily.

I try to sit up, but Annabeth stops me. "Be careful. Your head is bruised. I think they hit it against something on purpose. Just don't move too fast and you should be fine,"

Wait, _they_? Who are _they_?

Ohh...it all comes back. I was mad at Annabeth and walked off in the garden. Someone grabbed me from behind, and then someone grabbed Annabeth. A foul-smelling cloth was placed over my mouth and the last thing I remember was being thrown in a van.

"We've been kidnapped, haven't we?" I say. Annabeth purses her lips tightly and nods.

Careful not to move too fast (and wary of the pain in my head) I sit up with a bit of help from Annabeth. She's clutching my hand tightly, and I'm clutching hers. We must have been like this since we passed out in the van.

I take a moment to look around the room we're stuck in. It's dark and damp, with a concrete floor and solid cinder block walls. There are no windows; just a single flickering light hanging from the ceiling. There's a door too.

"Have you tried opening the door?" I ask, wincing as my fingers brush my temple. Dang, that must be a big bruise.

"Yeah. Locked. I've tried shouting too," Annabeth says miserably. "But there's nothing. I'm scared, Percy,"

I bite my lip, bile rising up my throat. I'll admit...I'm scared too. Really scared. "This is my fault," I sigh, eyes closing for a second. "I shouldn't have stormed off...I'm sorry, Annabeth,"

Annabeth shakes her head. "It's not your fault, Percy. I'm sorry too. I-,"

Before she can say anything else, the door clicks. I instinctively push closer to Annabeth, putting as little distance between us as possible, yet at the same time making sure I'm between her and the door – which swings open. I gasp at who enters, but at the same time I'm not shocked at all.

"Grandfather," I say coldly once I get over my momentary shock, glaring at the golden-eyed man.

"Ah, Percy," he says with a smile, closing the door behind him. "And dear little Annabeth. It's lovely to see you, children,"

Annabeth's hand squeezes mine and her other grips the back of my shirt. "What are we doing here?" I ask.

"Well, your father refused to listen to my threats," Kronos says, pacing in front of the door. I do a quick evaluation and see no exit whatsoever – I mean, if I sprint I could get out without Kronos grabbing me. But I can't just leave without Annabeth. If we both try to run, he'll grab at least one of us. And I know that I'm not leaving Annabeth, no matter what happens in here.

Kronos continues, "I did mention that I'd put off kidnapping you, Percy, and now is the time. Simply terrifying you wouldn't do. Poseidon wouldn't be as weak as you if I snuck into his room – he, at least, would fight me. So I thought, why not simply take you with no warning? I'm sure that that alone will scare your father into do as I say,"

"What about Annabeth? Can't you just let her go?" I ask. "Please. She hasn't done anything to you,"

I can tell that Annabeth is glaring at me, but I don't care.

Kronos laughs. "So she can tell your father everything and ruin my game? Of course not, child, that would be far too simple,"

I glower at the floor. So, he's taken me to mess with my dad because my dad won't respond to some threats. What threats? Poseidon has never mentioned anything about threats. I can assume, however, that they've got something to do with me being given to Kronos – who is calling this kidnapping a 'game'.

See? I told you he's like the guy from Saw.

"Well, what are you going to do with us, then?" Annabeth asks, clearly trying her hardest to sound strong. Personally, she's doing better than me at it. With every minute I can feel myself crumbling.

"You'll find out," Kronos replies simply, turning towards the door. "I'm afraid that I only came to say hello, children. But I'll be back later with a couple of friends. Oh, and I would recommend not to try breaking out. Not unless you want a few extra scars,"

Kronos grins creepily as the blood leaves my face and he slips out of the room before I can get over my shock and horror. It clicks locked. I stare at the door, hardly feeling my bones crack in my hand as Annabeth squeezes it senseless.

"Percy..." she whispers. Her broken voice snaps me out of it and I turn to her. A tear is rolling down her cheek.

"It's okay," I murmur, wiping my own traitorous tears away. _Unless you want a few extra scars_...oh, fuck, what does he mean by that? I hold my breath for a couple of the seconds, trying to settle the bad feeling settling in my gut. "Annabeth, listen to me," she doesn't look up. "Please, Annie, this is important," Annabeth still doesn't look up at me.

I try not to huff in frustration; now I now how Poseidon feels when I'm uncooperative. Poseidon. Oh, shit, he must be freaking out. No doubt Annabeth and I have already been gone for quite some time. I can't imagine how he must feel to have his son, who he only just got, taken from the place he thought is be safest for him, by a man who might have murdered his own granddaughter.

"Annabeth," I say carefully, placing a hand on to get her attention. Thank god, it works. "Look, Annabeth, you need to listen to me now, okay? I know this is r-really scary," even my own voice is trembling. "But whatever Kronos says, we don't listen. Understand? You have to be strong while you're here. It's not you Kronos wants – it's me. So please don't say anything when he...when he..."

"How?" Annabeth asks after a couple of seconds. "How am I meant to be quiet when he's going to be hurting you?"

"If you say anything, he'll hurt you too," I say.

"He's going to hurt me anyway, Percy,"

Damn it, now I can feel _more _tears leaking from my eyes. My hands drop from Annabeth's shoulder to rub my wet eyes violently. "Stupid, stupid..." I mutter. Annabeth grabs my wrists and tugs my hands away from my face.

"Stop it," she scolds half-heartedly. I smile, but my heart isn't in it either. I shuffle towards the wall, leaning against it with my knees close to my chest. Annabeth copies, our hands still clutched in each others, and closes her eyes as she rests her head on my shoulder. I put my spare arm around her shoulders and place my cheek on top of her hair, sighing sadly. It's a bit weird being so close to each other (especially when Annabeth's a _girl_) but I'd rather be close to her than on my own on the other side of the room.

_This is going to be a looong couple of days... _

Annabeth and I do fall asleep, but only for about an hour or so. I'm not sure – it's hard to tell what time it is in here. It might be evening for all I know. When we were...ugh, kidnapped, it was only noon. Lord knows how much time passed has passed since then, considering we were unconscious for a while.

We're rudely woken up by Kronos barging into the room with two men besides him. He doesn't say anything as he nods to us and the men (who wear ski-masks) grab Annabeth and I and tear us away from each other.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouts in panic as our hands are pulled apart.

I bite my lip to stop myself from shouting something back at her, and give her my best reassuring look. '_Remember what I said_,' I try to tell her. I think she gets the message, because she doesn't wrestle as much against the man who has hold of her, though that alone seems to be killing her. The man that has hold of me doesn't just pull me away from Annabeth. He pulls me over to Kronos and throws me on my knees in front of him, keeping his hands on my shoulders so I can't move.

"What a cute sight," Kronos smirks. I glare up at him, biting my tongue. "What a shame we have to disrupt it..."

I glance over at Annabeth. I can she she's trying to look as emotionless and strong as possible, but there's a glitter of panic in her eyes. No doubt, I'm the same. A third man who I didn't notice hands Kronos something. A belt?

"Move," my grandfather orders. The man holding me steps back and I go to try and jump to my feet, but before I can Kronos's boot pushes me further down on to my hands and knees.

Kronos raises the belt and brings it down on my back.

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><p><span><strong>Poseidon's POV<strong>

"Dionysus," I say, taking a step to the side to intercept my stumbling nephew. "Have you seen Percy anywhere?"

Dionysus blinks at me through bloodshot eyes. "No...who's Perry?"

I roll my eyes and keep walking. Where _is _that son of mine? Seriously, one second I can find him in one place, then another he'll be somewhere entirely different...I suppose that is a factor of being ADHD, of course. But it's still incredibly annoying when I need him for something.

So far, I've searched the gardens and most of the mansion. Unless Percy thinks it's funny to purposely hide from me (unfortunately inherited my dry sense of humour), I'd almost say that he's not on the property all together. My 'over-protective-fatherly-instincts' - as Hestia calls them - tingle uncertainly at that thought, but I brush it off. Percy may act like he's stupid, but he's not. He knows better than to leave Zeus's mansion without an adult.

Anyway, I keep searching. Athena arrives at 3pm, and we find out that Annabeth isn't around either. She was apparently dropped off earlier this morning, and Hephaestus says he saw Percy and Annabeth heading into the gardens together - which means wherever we find one child, we find the other.

"They are going to be in so much trouble," Athena scowls, tapping her foot as she checks her watch.

"Damn right," I mutter, glowering at the floor as I run through a list of hiding spots around the mansion that we haven't checked for the children yet.

Part of me is beginning to get agitated and worried. These past few days - apart from his birthday - Percy has been really skittish and anxious. He doesn't make it obvious, of course. The only reason I can see through his calm mask is because he's a mini copy of me; he acts almost _exactly_ like I did as a boy. I've not mentioned anything about it to him, remembering the time he panicked when I tried to ask about the scars on his back.

My glare deepens. The scars. I'm still _fuming_ over that. I could rant all day about how angry I am at Hugh, at Sally, at _all_ of her boyfriends! I could even say that I'm a little mad at Percy for not telling me, however I guess that I do see his reasoning. Sometimes I forget how old Percy really is - ten years old. He was only nine when that whole incident went down. _Nine_. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't a nine-year-old's biggest secret concern something like, I don't know, _will they notice that I stole from the cookie jar? _That kind of thing.

By 4pm, I know something's wrong. Percy was last seen at around noon-ish. It's been four hours, and he is nowhere to be seen in or around Zeus's mansion.

"I'm gonna go check CCTV," Hermes mutters, running to his room.

I fiddle with my hands nervously. "Still think they're playing a 'harmless game of hide-and-seek'?" I ask Hades, my tone grumpier than his.

"Would you rather me say what I _think _has happened?" Hades snaps, glaring at me.

"What's happened, dad?" Nico asks - springing up from nowhere, seriously - tugging on Hades's sleeve. "I thought Percy and Annabeth are just playing a game. What're they really doing?"

Hades glances down at his young son, then back up to me. "They are..." he says, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "They've gone for some ice cream from the shop down the road, and they've forgot to tell us. They'll be back soon,"

Nico nods, but his eyes shine sadly as he returns to the sofa besides Thalia. He, like Percy, has been through way to much for his age. Both boys are similar, in a way. They've both lost their moms, seen things they shouldn't have, gained far too much attention from their grandfather...

A tremble runs through me. _Grandfather_. There's another person who makes me feel angry and crept out at the same time. I've been receiving non-stop notes from him these past couple of days - some in the form of business letters, some in the form of bills, others in the form of freaking menus from the local takeaways, and so on. All of them have been 'threatening' me in some way. I've ignored them, of course. Kronos is just trying to play with my mind. He'd never try and...and _take_ Percy while he's on Zeus's property.

Would he?

"Dad?" Hermes calls from upstairs. "Uh, Uncle P? Athena? You...you might wanna come see this,"

I exchange a look with Hestia, who looks as worried as me. She nods towards the stairs, telling me to go. I sigh silently and follow Athena (ugh, Owl-Face...) to Hermes's room. He has to be the richest teen on the planet, however his room is surprisingly bare. My nephew himself is sat at the computer in the corner. He turns to face us in his chair, his face stark white.

"Look," he says. His voice is shaky and so _not like Hermes_ I instantly start to panic. I look at the computer and see footage from one of the CCTV cameras in the gardens. The camera plays in black and white, and for a second nothing happens.

Then Percy appears.

His fists are clenched, he's stomping his feet - clearly angry. I wonder why. Oh, he didn't run away, did he? I will lecture that child to Neptune and back if he has, and then hug him until he grows a beard. I glance at Hermes's expression, however, and see that it's much more than just that.

Percy turns around suddenly in the footage, his mouth opening to shout something, when a ninja leaps from the bushes and grabs him. The 'ninja' is clearly not one of his cousins, or anyone else we know. He's wearing a black ski mask. It takes me a second to piece it together.

"No..." I breathe.

Annabeth appears, freezing in shock at the sight. Percy bites the man's hand (is it bad that I feel proud at him for that?) and shouts something at her - probably along the lines of 'run'. Only Annabeth doesn't. Another man grabs her. "No!" Athena exclaims. I look over at her and, to my surprise, her eyes are swimming with tears. "Annabeth!"

The children wrestle all they can against the men, only to have cloths placed over their mouths that makes them fall limp. The men grab them out of sight. "That's it," Hermes says shakily, stopping the footage.

"Call the police immediately," Zeus says, straightening. "Report two missing children; kidnapped approximately four hours ago. Then get someone to check the perimetre and other security footages - we all know who's behind this and he isn't going to get away with it,"

I feel like a robot. I straighten my back, clenching my fists and grinding my teeth. Kidnapped. Percy's been kidnapped. My _son_ has been taken. Why? Was it Kronos? It had to have been. Who else would want Percy? What's he...what's he going to do with him?_  
><em>

"What can I do?" I growl, looking at Zeus.

My brothers eyes scan me. "You can come search the garden with me. I want to know how my security was breached,"

I nod stiffly. To say I'm angry would be an understatement - I'm furious. To say I'm worried would be a lie - I'm terrified. What's going to happen to my son now? Where is he? Does he know what's going on? Is he hurt? Is he scared? Why can't he just be here, with me? Will we even find him?

It takes me a few second to realise _we might not find him_. No. We have to. He's only been an Olympia for a week. Even fate isn't cruel enough to take him away from me now; from his cousins and friends. No, we will find him. We found Nico when he was taken, after all. I mean, his mother and sister were...no, don't think about that. Don't think about anything. Think about Percy, and think about finding him. He's going to be okay.

I stride after Zeus, out of the room, leaving behind Hermes who is now talking down the phone frantically, and Athena, who is sobbing into her hands.

I remember that today is Annabeth's birthday, and her mom had dropped her off here because she was too busy for her. Poor girl.

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><p><strong>So...that's it! I've finally got around to writing Poseidon's POV. The second half of this chapter was a description of what was going on with Percy and Kronos and all...that stuff, but I thought that was a bit too dark and grim, so I've spent the last half hour writing it rather than getting ready to go. Yeah, you're welcome.<strong>

**SERIOUSLY running out of time right now. I'll talk more next chapter about this chapter. Hope you enjoyed; review, follow and favourite please. Hope you all have nice days! Sorry for being in such a such.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Boom! I'm back. And late. Again. Though in my defence, it was my birthday yesterday. I was at the park with my friends in the morning, drinking cinnamon coffee, freezing our butts off and hiding in freaking bushes to stay out of the hailstone (gotta love British weather). Then I went to see Mockingjay with some other friends and it was amazing. Seriously. My nails are stumps from chewing on them.**

**On Thursday I went to Harry Potter Studios and that was also amazing. All in all, I've had a freaking good birthday and I'm in relatively high spirits...well, I was, until I read this chapter. It's dark as fuck and there's a lot of...well, torture in it. So, yeah...WARNINGS FOR TORTURE AND SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER. Just thought I'd put that there so I won't have to in a bit.**

**Well, I'm not going to babble. Sorry again for being late. It's weird that I'm always late to update this story, when in real life I stress like crazy over being late for anything. Yeah. A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed and followed and added to favourites! And to the reviewer who got me to 200 reviews; your three reviews made me chuckle like an idiot when I was driving down to Harry Potter Studios. My parents now think I'm loony. Thanks. (No, but seriously, _thank you_!).**

**Well, that's all. Talk to you all at the bottom!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p><span><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

Once again, I wake up to Kronos storming into the room. Before I have time to react I'm pulled away from my comfortable pillow which is Annabeth – causing me to scream in pain as the man purposefully grabs my welts. I half-expect myself to be thrown on to the floor and lashed again, but I'm not. I hear a_snap_ as the belt is brought down, but not on me.

"Annabeth!" I exclaim in horror. The guy holding me punches me, causing blood to trickle from my lip.

Luckily, she doesn't get as many lashes as me and the belt seems to be a normal belt – not a weirdly heated-up one with freaking _studs_. When Kronos is done, one of the men pulls her back. I'm thrown on to the floor. Again, I expect the belt to come down. Instead I'm greeted with a fist to the face. Great, a lovely beating for me. Just like my mom's old boyfriends...

It's all over after ten minutes. The men leave, leaving Annabeth and I to curl up in the corner together and try to comfort one another. I groan in pain. My back is still stinging horribly from the welts – I'm pretty sure that Kronos broke my wrist by stomping on it. Not to mention, every other inch of my body aches.

"Are you okay?" I manage to ask Annabeth.

She nods her head silently and leans against my shoulder however she was clearly being mindful not to put too much pressure on it. I do my best to give her reassuring hug.

This time, I don't fall asleep. Annabeth does. I let her rest her head in my lap like she did for me as she finally has a moment of peace. It's all ruined way too soon, however, when Kronos returns after what feels like maybe two hours. Again, it's hard to tell what time it is in here.

Annabeth is woken from her slumber when she's torn away from me and tossed to the floor. Kronos beats her and I scream at him to stop – the guy that has hold of me keeps punching me and scratching my welted back with what feels like a key of some sort.

Luckily, Kronos seems to be merciful towards Annabeth. He doesn't beat her as much as he did me. When he's done, he motions for me to be thrown on to the floor and pulls out a knife.

"Let's play a game," he says, kneeling down in front of me. _Oh my god, didn't I say he's just like Saw?! _"I'm going to ask you a question, and every time you get one wrong you get sliced,"

He starts to ask me a load of questions that you'd expect to find in a school pop quiz. I get some right but because I'm so nervous I get a majority wrong. Every time I do, Kronos grabs a random body part (my arm, my leg, my face) and creates a long cut on it. They're not deep, however they are painful.

It becomes a routine. Every two hours, Kronos will come in and do whatever he did to me to Annabeth, only not as badly, before doing something new to me. So far, he's whipped me, beaten me, cut me and electrocuted me multiple times. A day has gone, at the least. After the third round of being lashed, I start to feel my hope seeping. Annabeth's, too. Every time Kronos leaves us alone, I want nothing more than to just curl up and cry.

I want my dad. I've never wanted something so much in my life. All I need is to hear my dad's voice, and I'll be fine. I'll have hope. But part of me knows that the only way I'm ever going to see him again is if I find a way out of here. But how? I'm in so much pain and moving seems like such an effort (I know, it sounds lazy, but it's true...).

"Hey," Annabeth says as she wipes my side with my torn shirt. I'm lying shirtless on the floor, letting her tend to my bleeding wounds.

Kronos has just left after giving me some more cuts, but this time he went further. He's carved something in my side, just under my arm. It's a lot deeper than any of the other cuts so it's bleeding a lot. I can feel the blood-loss making me a bit queasy, along with the pain.

"Yeah?" I ask, glancing up.

Annabeth smiles softly. "You're crying," she says. I wipe my cheeks and, indeed, there are tears. I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't cried at all during all of Kronos's torture sessions. I've cried because of the pain, too. But this is for a different reason. This is because I'm hurting emotionally.

"I want my dad," I admit quietly. "So much. I feel that if I could just see him, I'll actually have the will to find a way out of here,"

"I know how you feel," Annabeth mutters, holding my bundled shirt to my side and messing with the blue bead on her necklace. I notice that they haven't taken our necklaces from us; not even the ring on Annabeth's. "I miss my mom, too. And Thalia, Nico and Grover,"

"Hell, even Hades and Zeus," I add, nodding. What I wouldn't give to see my uncles' moody faces. "We'll see them again," I say, partially to myself.

We're silent for a couple of minutes, thinking, before Annabeth says something. "We have to get out of here, Percy. If not, we're both gonna be dead within the next few days. You're losing blood. I'm surprised that you haven't fallen unconscious from the pain yet,"

"I've had practice," I tell her dryly.

Annabeth gives me a look. "What do you mean?"

"See my back?" I ask, shifting with a silent groan of pain. "The old scars...?"

Annabeth simply stares at the white marks barely visible beneath my tattered skin and the blood from the welts. She's silent for a second, before she starts talking again. "A-Anyway...we have to get out of here. Soon. I don't doubt that people are looking for us already, but something tells me they may not get here in time to save us both,"

I get what she's saying. When Maria, Bianca and Nico were kidnapped, it took three days to find them. And in those three days, Maria and Bianca were killed. It's been at least a day for us, maybe more. If this is anything like last time, our clock is ticking. And I bet I'll be the first to die.

"I know that," I say grimly. "But how _are_ we going to get out? We don't know anything about this place than what's in this room,"

"Luckily, you have me – I'm smarter than average," Annabeth says. I nod, agreeing. "I'm also a natural at making plans, even subconsciously. Every time Kronos enters and leaves, I've had a look at the corridor outside. It goes in both directions. Kronos and his friends always come and go in one direction. I assume that whichever way that is, it takes them further into this place because why would they leave after every...torture session?"

I nod again, surprised by Annabeth's evaluation skills. They're definitely sharper than mine (and mine are sharp). "Okay, so we go in the opposite direction. But before that – how do we get out of the door?"

"That's easy. We wait until they come back to do something to us again, and we try and slip out. If we wait on one side of the door, where they can't see us, we might be able to do it. But only if we're fast," Annabeth says.

"That may be an issue," I mutter, shifting. I wince in pain instantly and clench my fist. "Even small movements are painful, Annabeth,"

Annabeth frowns sadly. "I know," she says. "But we only have a shot at this if we move fast, Percy. It's either deal with the pain and get out of here or quite possibly die in the next few days,"

I look down. I guess she has a point. What is there to lose from trying, really? I mean, if we don't try, we'll die anyway. "Alright," I nod after a couple of seconds. "So we've decided...there's still an issue, however. If we get out of here, what do we do _outside_ of this building or whatever we're in?"

"That's as far as I've got," Annabeth says sheepishly.

"My dad will be searching," I say, looking up at the dim light on the ceiling. Sometimes I close my eyes and imagine its dim light is from the moon, which comforts me in a way. I continue with a heavy chest,"So will your mom and my aunts and uncles. Maybe they have an idea as to where we are and we'll find them once we're out of here. But the second we're out of this building, we have to hide,"

"Looks like our games at home have come in handy, huh?" Annabeth smiles half-heartedly.

"Who'd have thought," I chuckle.

Unfortunately, we don't have the time to get into position before Kronos returns. He has the knife in his hands again. His friend drags Annabeth towards him and he slowly and painfully drags the knife down the calf of her leg. I wince at Annabeth's scream, biting the inside of my cheek so hard to keep myself from saying anything that I taste blood. Luckily for Annabeth, she's a lot better at the 'trivia' than I am, so that's all she gets from that session. Kronos's pal pulls me into position and I'm beaten for about five minutes.

"Just think," Annabeth pants, helping me carefully wrap up her calf in my already blood-soaked shirt. The floor of the room we're stuck in has been stained dark crimson with our blood. It probably looks like a horror movie scene in here.

We try our hardest for the next hour or so to prepare to run. My eyes are heavy and I want to go to sleep, but I know that's not an option. Annabeth rips off some of her shirt to create bandages for the strange, bloody cut under my arm and I use her belt as a sling for my broken arm (if it wasn't broken before, it definitely is now). We have to make due with what we have.

"I think it's time," Annabeth says in a hushed voice. We kneel besides the door, just besides the frame so that when Kronos and his friends barge in, they won't see us. Hopefully, we'll be running down the corridor before they realise we're not here. I don't think that they expect us to escape – I mean, they've threatened us enough and we're both extremely weak and in pain. With luck, we'll catch them by surprise.

"Annabeth," I say to her, turning to face her. "We're going to do this,"

Annabeth nods and for the first time, I don't see a trace of doubt in her eyes. She must be confident about our little plan. "I know," she smiles.

"I'll lead the way," I continue. "And I'll help you along – with your leg and all. But you'll have to tell me which way you think will lead us out,"

"I can do that,"

"Good," I pause for a second before hugging her tightly. Annabeth hugs me back, hiding her face in my shoulder. We're like that for a couple of seconds before we pull away. My heart begins to thunder. This is it; we're going to try and escape. And if we fail, it will quite possibly be our final actions. I glance at the light, wishing it was the moon. The moon has always reminded me of my mom. My mom reminds me of my dad. _I'll see you soon_, I try and persuade myself. _I'm going to be alright. Annabeth's going to be alright. I hope you're ready to find us, dad.__  
><em>

"When we get out of this," Annabeth mutters. "I'm never leaving your side. Bad things happen,"

I chuckle, returning my gaze to her pretty grey eyes. "Sorry,"

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "I'm serious. We'll stick by each other, right,"

"Always," I smile. Annabeth smiles back, because we both know the actual meaning behind that one word. Remember my birthday, when my family sung Bon Jovi and even Annabeth was involved? Bon Jovi has a song called 'Always' that's about love and such, with lyrics like, '_I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine, __til the heavens burst, and these words don't rhyme_'. I remember listening to it one night with my mom...an old memory, but a nice one nonetheless.

I grab Annabeth's hand and squeeze it. Then, through the door, I hear footsteps. About four pairs of feet, if I'm not mistaken. They're coming towards our door. I tense, trying to regulate my breathing. I exchange one more look with my best friend.

The lock clicks and the door swings open. Kronos strides in, eyes thankfully not trained on the room – they're focused at the man besides him, laughing as though they'd just said something funny. I don't waste a second. The second there's a space between the door and the man at the back of the group, I slip through the gap and run – sprinting down the corridor like my life depends on it. And it does.

I keep hold of Annabeth, lugging her along behind me. She's limping seriously. My entire body screams in protest as my muscles work as fast as they can to get me out of there. Within thirty seconds I'm crying with both pain and desperation. The only thing driving me on is the thought of Annabeth getting to safety and seeing my dad again.

Poseidon. My brow furrows in determination and I push on, using the green fire-exit signs I see to find my way out of there.

"Left!" Annabeth hisses as we come to a crossroads without any signs. I nod and sprint that way. I stumble a couple of times and my heart jumps into my throat as I hear other footsteps behind us. There are people shouting. I can hear them getting closer.

I don't dare look over my shoulder. I think I remember a legend about a hero of some sorts making the mistake of looking over his shoulder when running away from something, and he died. No thanks.

There's a door ahead of us. "An exit!" Annabeth gasps, stumbling. I steady her as best I can without slowing down my pace and we burst through the double doors.

Unfortunately for us, there's a set of steps just outside the door. Annabeth and I tumble down all seven of them – I feel a few rips crack against the sharp concrete edges. I groan in pain as I hit the bottom and hear the voices again. They're even closer.

"C'mon!" I shout at Annabeth, hauling her up on to her feet. I throw her arm around my shoulder, seeing that she is still dazed, and I limp ahead – through the darkness (yep, it's night-time) I can see a forest. Perfect. If I can find a good enough tree, we can hide. We'll be safe. Looks like playing hide-and-seek in the back garden was a good thing after all.

Something whizzes past my ear, missing it by a centimetre. A knife? It lodges in a tree trunk and as I run past it, I don't hesitate in grabbing it.

"Here!" I give it to Annabeth, as she's more vulnerable. If anyone is going to get out of this, it's going to be her.

We run through the thick forest. The footsteps are right behind us. I sometimes hear a hand brushing my shoulder and blindly kick out behind me. It works, at first, until a hand successfully latches on to my shoulder. I stumble and fall, forcing Annabeth to keep running by pushing her forwards.

"We got you now, kid!" one of Kronos's friends in the ski-masks says, raising a knife above his head. I don't have time to react. The knife comes down in slow-motion, but before it can hit its target – my heart – a shadow appears over us.

Annabeth appears out of nowhere and jabs the knife that I gave her into the man's side. The man screams in pain, the knife instead burying into my thigh. I cry out, but I guess it's better than it getting me in the heart. The man rolls off me, tearing the knife out of his side and frantically trying to stem the blood flow.

"C'mon, Percy!" Annabeth shouts, pulling me to my feet like I did for her before. I don't dare pull out the knife lodged in my leg in case it's hit something important.

We keep running. I can feel warm blood down my entire leg. If my vision isn't dark enough, I can hardly see anything now. I feel like I'm ill again like I was a few weeks ago, except the pain is a lot worse – _especially_ in my leg, back and side.

Eventually, Annabeth begins to slow down. I can hear her laboured breathing. I want to stop too, but I know that they'll find us if we just collapse on the floor. So I grab Annabeth's arm and tug her down behind a shrub. We settle in a small gap between a couple of bushes and a tree. We hold our breaths as footsteps race past us. "Find them!" Kronos's voice roars from not too far away. "They can't have gone far!"

Annabeth sighs in relief as the footsteps and voices slowly move away. "We did it," she mutters.

"Not yet," I pant, eyes closing with the pain. I clutch my thigh, hands slick with blood. The knife is buried all the way to the hilt. "W-We still need to g-get home,"

"But we're out of there," says Annabeth. "That's better than nothing, right?"

I manage a weak smile and nod. Annabeth smiles too and hugs me, pecking my cheek. "We can only rest for a minute," she warns. "I know it hurts, Percy, but we need to keep moving,"

"Okay," I breathe, happily closing my eyes. I wonder dazedly how in the _fuck_ that plan worked - how did we just outsmart Kronos and then manage to run away from his lackeys with so many injuries? It feels like a dream. No way did it just happen.

But it did. Now we have to focus on finding our families _without_ dying.

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><p><strong>Okay, so last chapter I sort of ended it quickly because I had to get ready to go out for my birthday. I promised that I'd talk about Chapter 22 in this chapter, so...did you guys like Poseidon's POV? I quite liked it. I'm thinking of adding another chapter that's completely his POV, just because we've had so much of Percy's POV for most chapters, we don't really know what he's thinking or how he feels. I was going to delete half of this chapter and re-write it as Poseidon raging about Percy's disappearance, only I wasn't feeling the inspiration.<strong>

**Anyway, on to this chapter. Now, I have issues.**

**One) I'm a tight bitch who's torturing Percy and Annabeth for no reason. I actually like to think of this whole abduction experience as their trip to Tartarus, sort of. I mean...yeah, sort of. Meh. I've completely forgotten my reasoning behind that one.**

**Two) I physically couldn't think of a way to make this chapter interesting without making it drag and without making the kids escape. I've got a feeling that I'm not making sense here, but what I'm trying to say is I don't like having more than two chapters devoted to someone being missing from the main plot! I mean...ugh, it's too much to explain. ****Basically, this is the only _full_ chapter in which the kids are missing. Next chapter, they find people. Spoiler alert. I doubt many of you will be happy with that, but unless you wanted a really crappy chapter...yeah, this was your alternative. My apologies for sucking.**

**Anyway, I'm gonna leave it at that. Second to last week of school...I have a big maths test tomorrow that I should really be revising for, only I've got a really good story in mind that I need to keep writing before all my inspiration goes. I hate it when that happens. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, please leave a review. Thank you to every reviewer so far - you're all awesome! Thanks for your support!_  
><em>**

**Hope you all have great days and you make it through this week (Mondays...they're a killer). Bye from me!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hi, guys, it's me. I'm late. Again. Though you guys are probably starting to get used to it now, haha.**

**So, I left you all at a _very _big cliffhanger again. Unfortunately, this chapter contains another. Sort of. I personally hate cliffhangers and always try not to leave my chapters at one - as a matter of fact, my chapters usually end when I get to around 2300 words or so. Yeeah. Anyway, I've left you all waiting for long enough, so here is Chapter 24!**

**I've not got much to say until you've all read the chapter. I'll mention it now - I'm still in high school and I've been on one first-aid course. That does not, by any means, suggest that I'm a medical expert. A lot of stuff in this chapter is probably in-accurate and unrealistic, but meh. For the story's purposes, let's imagine everything that happens in this chapter does and can happen. Yeah? Okay.**

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thank you to everyone who has supported the story so far - we're getting close to the end, guys. Ten chapters. I checked. I also have a one-shot ready to publish, which I'll be doing either today or tomorrow, so...look forwards to that.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p><span><strong>Percy's POV<strong>

We rest for a little longer than a minute, finding it a lot harder than expected to find the will to move when our time was up. Every now and then, we hear a voice of one of Kronos's men a lot closer than we're comfortable with. After an hour of resting, we agree that we should start moving and that the men have all travelled far enough away from where we are that we won't be seen.

Annabeth leads the way, being in better condition than I. She says east is the way to go – how or why she knows that, I'll never know, but after knowing her for so long I decide not to comment on Annabeth's judgement. After all, it's always best.

Walking on my leg is painful beyond words. I need to get this knife out of it, but I don't dare touch the hilt in case I make something worse. Every step feels like I'm being stabbed again. We have to take a lot of breaks to say the least. I don't realise that Annabeth and I haven't had anything to eat or drink since the day we were abducted until we find a little stream of fresh water. We drink from it like dogs who've been stuck in a hot car all our lives and spend a few minutes cleaning up our cuts, although we're still likely to get infections if they're not treated properly soon.

"We should follow it downstream," Annabeth says once we were done, examining the forest around us. Usually, I'd be admiring the forest's every detail and running around and climbing trees, but my brain suddenly seems to be working at a snail's pace. "It should lead to a river or the sea, eventually. Maybe then we'll find someone who'll help us,"

Again, I don't say anything in protest (mainly because it takes about five seconds for her words to register. My leg is still bleeding, but not as much as it was earlier since the knife seems to have plugged it. Or maybe because I don't have much any more blood left to loose. I ask to stop every five minutes and Annabeth lets me occasionally, however not for long. The sun is coming up and a misty fog has set on the forest floor, causing me to shiver with the cold. I doubt being so weak and injured is helping my body stay warm – or even alive.

Hours pass. I'm still not sure how I'm alive after losing so much blood and being in so much pain. The only thing that I think is keeping me going is Annabeth, whose determination to get us both home alive is unwavering. I have a similar determination of my own, only I can't really show it because, like I've said, nothing is making sense to my blood-lacking brain. I keep thinking Poseidon, of course. His face keeps appearing in my mind. _I'll find him_, I think to myself. _I know I will. We'll be back together soon_.

The thought makes me smile slightly and I force myself push on.

It was early morning by the time we reach a river. We stand there for a second, listening to the running water carefully. I hear the other distant sound before Annabeth does.

"Traffic?" I question, perking.

"There must be a road nearby," Annabeth says, her throat raspy from screaming and yelling, however there's still a hopeful smile on her face. "And that means people. C'mon,"

I try to imagine how people will react when they find us, but even the ADHD part of my brain can't find the energy. I follow behind Annabeth sluggishly – well, even more sluggishly than I've been moving all day. Seeing my struggle, she slows down and wraps an arm around my waist.

"C'mon, Seaweed-Brain," she mutters. "Don't give up. You can't. You told me always – remember?"

I nod weakly, eyes fluttering open and closed. "Always," I murmur incoherently.

Only then does it actually dawn on me. I'm _dying_. Like, physically dying. I mean, I knew this was likely, but it's weird to actually feel and hear my body coming to an eventual stop. My heart is thumping with my remaining strength in my chest, and it's getting slower. Breathing is getting harder, like my lungs are shrinking to raisins. Have my legs always felt this heavy? Have things always seemed so...peaceful? I mean, just look at the sky...

"No!" Annabeth shouts as I drop to my knees, my legs unable to support my weight anymore. She holds me up under my arms. "No, Percy, please! Stay with me – stay awake! You have to stay awake! Look, there's a road! There's a road, Percy! That means people. P-Please, Percy..."

My head droops, shaking slightly. "Tired..." I slur.

"No," Annabeth says, slapping me upside the head. I wince in pain. "You are _not_ tired. You are wide awake, hear me? Hyper, even. Now get your sorry arse in gear, Jackson, and _move _it,"

Part of me is frustrated by Annabeth's attitude – can't she understand that I'm _dying _here and I would much rather die without her nagging in my ear? The other half of me is grateful beyond belief. If it hadn't been for her, I would have given up hours ago. I'd give up now; just when we're so close to freedom and my family, yet also so far away.

Annabeth manages to drag me to the side of the road and we both collapse in a heap.

"Look!" she shouts happily once she'd recovered just a few seconds later, pointing to a sign. It's one of those ones that direct you to towns and stuff. I look up and blink, however I still can't read any of it. "New York," Annabeth says. "One mile,"

_One mile? Might as well make it one hundreds miles. I'll never make it_.

"I can't do it," I mutter. "Annabeth, I-I can't,"

"Yes, you can," says Annabeth. "Don't say that. What happened to having a positive attitude, huh? What did you tell me – we need to have faith. Any one that doubts faith won't get through it," I remember that conversation; after our first beating. I told Annabeth she had to believe we could get out of this, and...and then what? I don't know. It's getting blurry. Everything is getting blurry. "You've had faith this entire time, Percy. And I refuse to acknowledge that you're now giving up, just as we're almost there,"

_Almost there?_

I don't register Annabeth hauling me on to her shoulder and tugging me along, down the road in direction of New York. Unfortunately, the traffic that we heard earlier is gone. The tarmac is empty. What a waste of time that was...

We make it about ten metres before Annabeth stumbles to the floor, crying out in pain. As a result I drop too; landing on my knees besides her. My eyes open long enough to see her grasping her calf. How has she been moving so fast with a cut like that on it? It must be so painful. I try and kneel down next to her, intending to help her back up, but then my body falls limp. My head hits the floor.

"No!" Annabeth shouts above me, rolling me over on to my side. "Damn it, Percy, please..."

I vaguely hear the sound of a car. It pulls up on the road next to us, by the sound of it. Annabeth shouts something again, this time sounding relieved. I force myself to open my eyes.

I try and say, "Who is it?" but all that comes out is something incoherent. I blink up at the blurry man who is kneeling down besides us.

"It's me," a familiar voice mutters back in his usual quiet voice. No, it can't be. Seriously? Hades? What is Hades doing out here? Before I can ask any questions, my eyes close again. It's becoming a huge battle for me to stay conscious now. Like, harder than it's ever been before. "Annabeth, get my phone from the glove box. Call Poseidon first and then an ambulance. Tell them both we're about a mile down the road from the old vineyard. Quickly now,"

I hear Annabeth struggling to her feet besides me. I feel Hades's hands examining my battered, bloodied body – tugging a few of my makeshift bandages out of the way to check the cuts beneath them and prodding at my broken bones. I manage hiss at him.

"Sorry," Hades says.

"They're broken," I mutter with as much anger as I can muster. I'm so drained, there's very little of it, but oh-well. I tried.

"Poseidon says he'll be here in under three minutes," I hear Annabeth to the left of me. "The ambulance will get here around the same time. I also told them that he's...that he's..."

"Getting fainter," Hades mutters, cold fingers holding my uninjured wrist. Why my wrist of all places?

I try to say Annabeth's name, but it seems that it's getting harder to do anything anymore. Even my brain feels like it's moving in slow motion, or as though I've had that stupid bleach-smelling cloth placed over my face. Instead, I reach out blindly in her direction.

"I'm here," Annabeth soothes, hand grabbing mine. I relax instantly. "We did it, Percy. We got out – we've found everyone. We did it..."

I manage a small smile, fluttering my eyelids open a few more times, although I can feel myself slipping away. My world is getting darker, and another world is getting lighter. I look up through my closed eyes to see the moon, still visible in the early morning sun, smiling at me from the sky. I can almost see my mother stood there, waving me towards her. I'm tempted to go closer, but something tells me that if I do, I won't be able to come back.

A high-pitched wailing starts to hurt my ears, scaring the moon out of sight. Are they sirens? They have to be. But they're not exactly close. I'd say another minute or so away.

Hades places his coat beneath my head as a pillow of sorts and gives a spare blanket from the trunk of his car to Annabeth. Some of my injuries he's re-wrapped with proper bandages so I'm not bleeding as sluggishly. The knife in my thigh is still untouched.

Another car pulls up. I hear someone gasp, "Percy!"

The familiar voice tugs me right back to earth, out of the moon's grasp. "Dad?" I mutter, eyes snapping open as I look around for him blindly. Poseidon appears knelt next to Hades. I can feel myself starting to tear up at the sight of him already. Dad. Finally, I've found my dad. After so long wishing for his company whilst I was being tortured...

"I'm here," Poseidon says, wiping my dampening cheeks with shaky hands. His eyes scan my body and he purses his lips, shoulders twitching like he wants to hug me, but knows he can't. I can't help but feel grateful. It'll hurt if he does. Instead, Poseidon strokes my hair comfortingly. "I-I'm not leaving you..."

"Please don't," I mutter. I turn my head towards Annabeth. "You too..."

"Always," she smiles, voice cracking.

I want to smile too, but my head just keeps getting fainter. My eyes close again, and this time they seal as though with tarmac. The moon appears in my vision once more, and this time I'm getting closer to it – only not willingly anymore. Something's pulling me towards it. Like a rope. And pulling that rope is my mom.

"_Just a little further, Percy_," her ghostly voice urges. In the distance, I can hear other voices. Someone shouting. Another person begging. Commands being thrown in all directions. "_And we can be together...c'mon, a little faster..._"

I shake my head defiantly. "_What about Poseidon?_" I ask, however my lips don't make a sound.

"_He'll be here in about sixty years, don't you worry. Unless depression cuts it down to thirty. We'll wait for him..._"

Sixty years? Thirty years? No, they're both way too long. I can barely go a couple of hours without my dad. Depression? Why would depression kill Poseidon – the strongest person I know? I've always imagined him going down in a blaze of glory or something (I mean, if he has to go down at all). And what's my mom doing here, anyway? She's dead.

"_Wait!_" I say. "_I don't want to go_!"

"_But you have to_!" mom's voice wails, suddenly sounding hysterical.

"_No, mom, please! I don't want to go to the moon yet! Please, give me another couple of years..._"

I can feel tears on my faces. Some, I think, aren't even mine. "_Very well_," says mom, her voice getting fainter. "_Today is not your time anyway. Good luck, my son. I love you_,"

My body jolts as electricity runs through me, shocking me back to the present. And I quite literally mean it was a _shock of electricity_. In my head, I scream, _Ouch! Who did that?_ Oxygen flows into my lungs and I realise that I've been holding my breath for the past couple of minutes. My heart starts thumping slowly in my chest. Wait, when did it stop?

"He's back!" an unfamiliar voice shouts.

"Get him on a stretcher quickly,"

"He'll need surgery..."

What are they talking about? Me? What do they mean by 'he's back'? I refused to leave. I never went anywhere.

I feel hands lifting me off the ground and on to a hard plank of wood. Well, I think its wood. It's uncomfortable, that's for sure. Then I feel the cold, morning air disappear and it's replaced with a medicine-scented, stuffy little box. An ambulance. I remember hearing sirens. They must have arrived.

"I want to stay with him!" Annabeth's voice shouts from somewhere. "Please! Percy! Let me stay with him!"

I can't tell whether anyone replies to her. The ambulance begins to move beneath us and the sirens begin to wail again, hurting my ears. Someone grasps my hand tightly.

"Don't leave..." I hear Poseidon mutter. "Percy, please, stay with us...stay with me...if you leave me again, I swear to god..."

_Leave again? What...?_

Then it hits me – I _died_. When I was floating towards the moon, that was me leaving my body, wasn't it? That shock that brought me back; that was a defibrillator or something like that. It jolted my heart back into action. Got my lungs to start working again. My god, I was dead for a few seconds at the least. Not brain dead, or else I wouldn't have been able to come back at all.

I'm barely ten years old and already I've died once. Why, that's a happy thought.

I try my hardest to twitch my fingers; give Poseidon some sort of comforting squeeze that tells him I'm still here and I can hear him. I won't leave. I must look like a corpse to him. My hands don't work. I try moving my head, my other arm, my legs – hell, even my toes. My eyes are glued shut with that strange tarmac sensation. Nothing moves. Why won't my body move? Shit, this can't mean anything good.

"Will he be okay?" Poseidon's voice asks.

"He'll go straight into surgery when we arrive at the hospital," an unfamiliar voice says. It must be a paramedic. "The knife in his leg may have hit an artery and it needs to be extracted surgically. There are a lot of cuts that need to be stitched up, along with some internal injuries, and he's lost a lot of blood,"

"You didn't answer my question,"

"...We'll do what we can, sir,"

My heart pounds against my ribcage in time with the heartbeat monitor somewhere else in the ambulance. What does he mean, they'll 'do what they can'?! I'm fine. I can't even feel any pain! All I need is a couple more bandages, right? Then I can go home with my family and remain there forever as a ten-year-old, antisocial hermit. I mean, I was a little antisocial at the start, but now I don't think I'm ever going to look at a back garden the same way ever again...

Poseidon's hand squeezes mine. "I don't know if you can hear me, Percy," he mutters. I try to twitch a muscle in my face so he'll know I'm listening to him, but nothing complies. _Ugh_. "But I do know you're going to be okay. I don't care what anyone says. You're going to pull through and everything is going to be fine. I've failed you once, and I won't again,"

Failed me? Poseidon hasn't failed me. He did his best at keeping me safe. He...he's loved me more than anyone ever has before. And besides, no one could have stopped Kronos's men from taking me and Annabeth from the garden anyway – not unless we'd been given personal bodyguards. As far as everyone knew, we were as safe as could be.

Something touches my forehead and I know instantly that it's Poseidon placing a kiss there. "I love you, son. Please don't leave me. I'm not sure I'd do if you did..." So that's what my mom meant about depression. Would Poseidon really die thirty years early if he loses me now? I can imagine myself sinking into depression if Poseidon died, but not vice versa. Poseidon's stronger than me. He always has been.

I manage to squeeze a tear out of the corner of my eye. It's probably not the most reassuring sign, but it's a sign none the less. It says that I'm alive and I know what he's saying; that I love him too and I'm in no circumstances going to leave him. Luckily, Poseidon sees it and understands. He wipes the tear away with a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank you..."

_You're my dad, how can I just leave you?_

* * *

><p><strong>Dat ending though O.o<strong>

**I have to admit that I'm kinda proud of this chapter. Not about how it's written, necessarily, but how it plays out. Hades is my favourite god, after Poseidon, and I wanted either him or Zeus to find Percy and Annabeth. Oh, and I think the way Percy thinks and stuff is pretty good. Yeah...**

**Okay, so there are a few things I want to mention. One) I am in now way a medical professional. If any of this is inaccurate or unrealistic, then whatever. For the story's purposes, everything written is real. I've used what medical knowledge I have to make it sound right. Sue me if I'm wrong about it. There...was something else I was meant to say, but I forgot. Damn it. I'll probably remember the second I upload this chapter :P**

**So...was there anything in particular you guys liked about this chapter? I quite liked it, even if it was sad. Percy and Poseidon are back together! Yay! I tried my best to make their reunion both cute and nice and stuff but also realistic. I mean, it's not as though Percy was going to be at all coherent in the state he was in. He was probably meant to be unconscious, like, but for the story's purposes (once again) he wasn't.**

**Oh, and Percabeth. There was some in this chapter (though it was indirect). I can guarantee that from now on Percy and Annabeth aren't going to be leaving each other's sides. Why would they?**

**Anyway...I did have a lot to say but now I've forgotten. I have just spent about ten minutes between this line and the last putting a tiny braid in my hair. I dunno why, but it actually looks pretty nice. Random fact for ya.**

**So, that's all for now. A big thank you to everyone supporting this fic - you're all awesome! Have a great weekend everybody, and I'll see you soon with either a new one-shot, or the next chapter. Bye :)**


	25. Author's Note :(

**Okay...so this is the very thing I was hoping to avoid until the end of the story. An author's note.**

**Basically, guys, I can't update until Christmas. Last night, I accidentally spilt some milk on my laptop and it completely destroyed the keyboard. As in, every key I type about fifty letters come up and a lot of other keys don't work. I can't type my password into my laptop, therefore I cannot log on and do anything.**

**I'm currently writing this from my grandparent's laptop. Until Christmas, when I get a new laptop, I'm afraid that there will be no updates. The rest of this story is saved on my old laptop. When I get my new one, my dad will hack into it for me from his computer and move all of my stories to my new one - hopefully. It's a case of nagging him to do it, really. And if he can't...well, I don't know what I'm going to do.**** The only sort of updating that I will be able to do is the occasional one-shot on my new series of one-shots (Monsters Under The Bed) written from my grandparent's laptop. To keep myself entertained at home, I'll probably be writing a butt-tonne of them anyway. But until Christmas - no update for this story :'(**

**I'm so sorry about this, guys. I did everything I could last night to try and sort out the keyboard, but even my dad couldn't do anything. I'm absolutely gutted too, because my laptop is my life. Writing is my life. And now I have nothing to do to ease the overflow of imagination in my head - except read books. You know how bored I've been since _last night_? I've finished reading Catching Fire and am now almost half-way through Mockingjay. In less than one day. You see my predicament?**

**To everyone who has supported the story so far, I'm really sorry for disappointing you. I know that this is possibly the worst point to go on an unavoidable hiatus for nearly two weeks - I mean, we were a _cliffhanger_! Ugh! I'm so beating myself up right now.**

**Anyway...I'm sorry again for the disappointment and not having an update ready. If any changes are made, I'll let you know. Until then...well, have a nice run-up to Christmas. Bye for now.**

**-JustARandomBrit**


	26. Chapter 25

**So...guess who's back? XD**

**I guess the first thing I should say is HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Hope you all had a great time with your family and friends and got all the gifts you wanted. I did. My new laptop! I'm writing on it now and I have to say I like it. Even though I've never been a fan of Windows 8, my parents paid loads for it and drove a _long way. _The squares and shit confuse me, but whatever. I also got a smexy pair of DC's, headphones, a Syndicate Riot Lion t-shirt...the list goes on, and everything is currently strewn across my bedroom. Anyway, I've had a good time this year and I hope you did too.**

**I know that I'm a day late, which I apologise for, but I had to badger my dad to transfer my files from my old laptop on to my new one. I was going to ask him to do it yesterday, but being Christmas we were busy as fuck. He did it for me about an hour ago, and the second it was done I got to work on this for you all. Anyway, it's done now. Whoop!**

**I just want to say a _massive_ thank-you to everyone who left a review for the author's note last chapter - I was expecting there to be a lot of complaining or whatever but you guys were all really supportive and nice about it. Thank you! And then to everyone who's had the patience to wait for this chapter.**

**So, I decided to convert the entire thing to Poseidon's POV. One reviewer pointed out that I've been extremely inconsistent with my POV's and I should switch between them more often. That's what I've done with this chapter and will be doing for the next couple of chapters. The sequel will be a lot better, I promise. I'm even considering writing it in 3rd person just because it's easier and my writing is a lot better.**

**Anyway...that is quite possibly the longest ramble I've done. I'm going to leave it here, now. Once again, thank you to everyone. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and it doesn't ruin your holiday cheer (it's a little sad).**

**Warnings: Swearing and child abuse.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Poseidon's POV<strong>

There are now words to describe how hard it is.

Just thinking about it brings a bad taste to my mouth - seeing it makes me wants to curl up in a corner somewhere and just...stay there. Sometimes, it makes me wish I was a shell. Yes, a shell. Shells don't feel things, and feeling nothing would be better than the pain of seeing in Percy in such a horrific state brings to me.

I remember everything of what happened when I found out Percy had been 'saved'. Receiving that phone call off Annabeth was like the best moment of my life. I remember her voice, frantic and tired and in pain, "_Poseidon, i-it's me! Annabeth! Hades has me and Percy, we're-,"_

I didn't really hear the rest of what she said because her previous words were running through my mind. _Hades has me and Percy. Hades has me and Percy. Percy. _"I'll be right there," I managed to stutter in response, before dropping my phone and sprinting to my car. All I could think of was seeing my son again. Seeing him safe. Hugging him and quite possibly locking him in a room for the rest of his life with 24 hour CCTV.

But, of course, that didn't happen. I pulled up on the road I vaguely remembered Annabeth describing to me and threw myself out of it before I even killed the engine, rushing towards the trio sat on the side of it. My brother was paler than usual, looking at me with his creepy dark eyes. They held none of their usual sourness, and his face was lacking the sneer he always had without Nico around. Instead, he looked sympathetic.

My eyes landed on the girl next to him. Annabeth? She didn't look like Annabeth. Her skin was grey and bruised and her blonde hair matted with blood. All sorts of injuries littered her body, explaining the pained look on her haunted face. Her eyes were streaming with tears as she held on to the hand of the other unrecognisable person at the scene.

Black hair which was slick with sweat and blood. A deathly pale face beneath more blood and big, purple bruises. Tattered clothes. Some sort of stab wound in his leg. He looked close to death.

And then I realised.

"Percy!" I fell to my knees unwillingly besides Hades.

My son looked up at me, his usually bright-green eyes glassy and...not quite there. "D-Dad," his voice cracked and sounded hoarse, as though he'd been screaming. He probably had been. He looked terrified, but relieved. Relieved to see me. I felt myself breaking down, but I put on a brave face. Percy was in a worse state than I was - I _couldn't_ act like more of the victim than him.

"I'm here," I choke, reaching out to wipe the tears from his cheeks - trying to ignore the blood it left on my hand. My eyes glance up and down his broken body unwillingly, and a part of me dies. I want nothing more than to hug him and promise that everything is over. But I can't. I might break him further. I stroke his hair instead, gently combing out the knots. "I-I'm not leaving you..." _Not again. Not ever._

"P-please don't..." He was getting weaker. I wanted to tell him to suck it up or something. He couldn't give up. I wanted to tell him how much it would hurt if he left - how hard it had been for me when he was gone, and how unbearable it would be if I never got him back. But he was slipping away. All he could manage was a quiet, "You too," in Annabeth's direction.

Annabeth managed a smile, gripping Percy's hand as though he was her lifeline. "Always," she whispered.

If I wasn't so overwhelmed with my son's state, I might have thought about what the pair of them had been through together. How close they must be after being...being tortured together.

Percy's eyes slid close. He fell limp, letting out a breath. I waited for him to inhale another, but he didn't. His chest went still.

"Percy?! Percy, wake up," I demand, brushing the hair on his forehead back to get a look at him. My panic level went up a ten-fold. "Damn it, open your eyes! Breathe! Do something!"

"Percy?" Annabeth breathed, more tears falling.

I heard sirens, indicating help was near. But not near enough. Every second they got closer, Percy was getting further.

"Please!" I beg, not even aware of he burning in my eyes, nor the wetness on my cheeks. "Percy, please, don't leave me...don't leave us...wake up! If you don't I'll...I'll...ban you from chocolate or something! I don't know! Please..."

The ambulance pulled up. Paramedics swarmed us. Annabeth was lead away, and with little complaint as she was too busy sobbing into her hands. Someone tried to pull me away too, to give the paramedic room. I stay put, pressing my forehead against Percy's and saying, "Please, please, please..."

"Poseidon!" Hades grabs me and yanks me away from my son, making me look into his dark eyes. "You have to give them some space - you're doing nothing to help Percy by blubbering over him,"

"But-," I look at the paramedics. They've ripped open what's left of his shirt, revealing his black and blue chest. They were talking to each other in a language only doctors would understand. One of them pulled out a yellow box and attached some sticky pads to Percy's chest. I recognised the box because we have one at the aquarium. "What wrong with him-?!"

"Take a guess," Hades snapped, hauling me to my feet.

I wrestled against him, yelling, "Get off me! I have to be there for him! I can't lose him, Hades, I can't-," I look over at Percy again and see his body jolt; back arching as the defibrillator tried to shock his heart back into action. My words are lost in my mouth as nothing happened and the paramedics prepared for another shock.

"Settle down, brother," Hades dragged me away, but he needed not use much force. I was in so much shock, and flooded with so much horror, I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was drowning, which has never happened before. I'd never felt such...heartbrokenness. Percy was...he was clinically dead. He was in cardiac arrest. If they didn't get his heart moving soon...

The paramedics shocked Percy again. And again. On the fourth time, his chest heaved. He sucked in a tiny breath, though after so long of _not _breathing it seemed like a massive breath. I felt like I'd been shocked too. The second the paramedics had him on a stretcher and were carrying him towards an ambulance, I was at his side.

Annabeth shouted behind me something about wanting to be with him, but I could hardly hear her. The sound of a heart monitor was all that filled my ears, and all that filled my vision was Percy. He was breathing again - _living_ again. That was all I could ask for at that moment.

"Don't leave..."

The next couple of hours fly by in an incoherent blur. Percy is whizzed from the ambulance the second it pulls to a stop, heading in the direction of the operation theatre. Hades had to hold me back from following him in there. Half an hour later, he was out again. I trailed after him as he was taken from room-to-room on every corner of the hospital. I was trying so hard to keep up with all the information being spouted about his condition that I had not time to consider my broken emotions.

Eventually, Percy's lay to rest in a private room in the hospital, apparently stable. And here I am - sat next to him, holding his hand and stoking his hair. An oxygen mask as been placed over his mouth, making it easier for him to breath. There's a tube up his nose, feeding him loads of much-needed nutrients, and a bunch of needles sticking out all over his body. He looks in a worse state than he was before, but at least his chest is rising and falling and the heart monitor is bleeping.

We're left alone for about ten minutes before a doctor enters. He looks important and official, which a clipboard in his arms that probably holds the information concerning my son's health.

"What's the news?" I ask, still stroking Percy's hair.

"He's in a bad state," says the doctors. _No shit, Sherlock_. "However we're confident that thanks to such immediate treatment, he'll get through the night. As you know, we've stitched up numerous lacerations to his skin across his entire body. The knife in his leg avoided an artery, luckily, and now that it's been removed the wound will heal. We've also dealt with some head trauma, broken ribs, a broken wrist, welts on his back, severe bruising and lowered the risk of a punctured lung – one of his ribs was pressing against his right rib dangerously,"

I breathe out, closing my eyes, bowing my head, wondering why I couldn't stop all this from happening to him. Why I couldn't have been a better father to him and protected him.

"There will be scars," continues the doctor. _Great_, I think bitterly. _More to add to his collection, then..._ Too you. He's jut too young. "Specifically from the welts and a few of the cuts. There is one cut in certain that I'm afraid will scar in more than one way..."

I lift my head at this. "What do you mean?"

"Under his arm, on his side. Whoever did this carved a word,"

Oh, fuck. If Kronos did this to Percy, and he probably did (therefore I will soon be hunting him down and _personally_ ripping his head off), he'd have carved something sick into my son. _Those words just_ don't_ belong in the same sentence together. _"...What does it say?"

"Simply the word '_m__ine_',"

"That bastard..." I hiss under my breath. Kronos has _claimed_ me _son _as _his_ property. Can that get any worse? These scars will never leave my son. The doctor and I are silent for many minutes. I hold Percy's hand tenderly and squeeze it gently, and rest his forehead on the bed next to his arm, once again wishing the roles were reversed to he didn't have to feel the pain...

"Before I leave, sir, there are a few other things," the doctor says finally. "The first is that Percy may remain comatose for some time,"

My head lifts up instantly. "Comatose?" I repeat. _No, no, no, no, no._

"Yes. He seems to have hit his head many times and has lost a lot of blood. Percy won't be able to move his body, speak or open his eyes. We'll do what we can to see that he wakes up, however in comatose patients there's always the small chance that they won't wake up,"

My hand tightens again on Percy's, bile creeping up my throat. Never wake up? That's as good as dead, really.

The doctor continues, a little nervously. I realise that I'm glaring at the floor. "But don't let that dishearten you. I've heard of patients waking up from a coma and saying that they were awake the entire time. For all we know, Percy is listening to us right now,"

"He probably is," I mutter, a little fond as my hand finds Percy's hair again. "He doesn't like being left out of conversations that involve him,"

"A curious boy like himself," the doctor agrees, even though he's never actually met Percy. Still, his comment brings a slight smile to my face.

"What else?" I ask.

"There are numerous visitors waiting to come and see him. Unfortunately the girl that was with him isn't able to move from her bed yet – she has similar injuries to Percy, however they are not as serious. She should wake up soon enough,"

I squeeze Percy's hand and smile, knowing that he'd be glad about that.

"Can you send my sister in?" I ask after a moment, changing the subject. "And my brothers. I don't want Thalia or Nico to see him just yet - not in this condition,"

The doctor nods. "Of course, sir. Before I go, there is one last thing – there are police officers outside who would like to have a word with you about your son and his disappearance, as you know,"

I grit my teeth, smile quickly fading. "My 'father' took him, I know he did,"

The doctor doesn't reply. He leaves the room silently. I sigh, hand still stroking Percy's hair. Things are silent for a couple of seconds, and then the door opens again.

"Oh, Poseidon," I hear Hestia say. I turn around and see my said sister. Her tone was watery, which matches the look on her face. There are tear-tracks down her cheeks and her eyes are red and puffy.

"Hi, Hestia," I reply, trying to answer with as much positivity as possible. My tone still ends up really glum.

Hestia can't seem to make words. She strokes Percy's hair too and kisses his ice cold cheek. "He looks so young," she whispers. I almost tear up myself, her emotion rubbing off on me. She sounds so hurt. "A-and so...so broken..."

"The doctor said he's comatose," I tell her. "He could be asleep for a while, if he wakes up at all..."

"Don't think like that," Zeus scolds from behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see him stood there with Hades, arms crossed and no emotion on his face. "You're not helping him,"

"Well, how would you feel?" I shot back bitterly. "What if it were Thalia in Percy's place, huh? Would everything you think about be sunshine and rainbows? Because it's _not_, Zeus,"

"Oh, do shut up," Hades sighs, rolling his eyes. I direct my glare at him, but he ignores me. "When Nico was in a coma, he woke up and said that he heard everything around him. Percy's probably listening to us right now, and I doubt that he's happy about your arguing. Grow up, the pair of you,"

_True..._I think. _That's definitely true..._

"Sorry," I huff, looking back at Percy. His skin resembles ice. "I'm just...I'm scared,"

"We all are," Hestia says, wrapping an arm around my waist in a hug. "But don't worry, Poseidon. Percy _is_ going to get better and we will help him through this, understand? Soon, he'll be back to the lovely boy we knew. I promise,"

"After all he went through, Hestia?" I ask doubtfully. "Do you remember what Nico was like after his experience?"

"Nico was traumatised," agrees Hades. "However he saw his mother and sister die. Things are better of for Percy. He escaped the worst of it,"

That sparks my temper once more. "The _worst_ of it-?!"

"Quiet, all of you," snaps Zeus. "I don't know about you three, but I came here to see my nephew and check whether he is going to survive so my own children will stop whinging. I certainly did not come here to argue. Like Hades said – grow up. Percy is what matters right now,"

I stare at my oldest brother in surprise. The most affection he and Hades have ever shown was welcoming Percy to the family the other week. And now they're Percy's at side in hospital, practically declaring that they _sort-of _care about my son too (though only due to my nieces and nephews, which is close enough). I smile at them gratefully.

"Alright," I sigh. "...Alright. Thank you, brother. You too, Hades. You found him – I don't think that I'll ever be able to thank you enough..."

"Cut the sap," Hades interrupts. Well, if he was sentimental before, he isn't now. "The kids did most of the job themselves; they escaped, they made it through the forest and stayed alive. Police are heading to the old vineyard as we speak to find evidence of any...activities going on there,"

"He was tortured," Hestia mumbles, mainly to herself. "That's what the doctor said. Whipped, electrocuted, cut, beaten..."

"Don't," I command, hand squeezing Percy's. "Please don't talk about that, Hestia..."

We fall silent. I sigh to himself, brushing my son's hair back off his forehead. Tortured. I suppose I've never really considered the severity of that word today. My son was _tortured. _That's just...that's just incomprehensible.

"We should go," Zeus says eventually.

I nod. "Alright,"

"We'll come by again tomorrow," Hades adds. "With the children. Nico's been crying for him since he went missing,"

"You think they'll be alright with seeing him like this?" I ask.

"If it means seeing their cousin..." Hestia says. She wipes her eyes and kisses my cheek. "I've got to go, brother, alright? I'll return tomorrow, too. Stay strong,"

"I'll try,"

"You will," she corrects. She kisses Percy's forehead, mutters something to him, and leaves.

"Try not to punch anyone," is Hades's reply. Short and blunt, I know. Zeus's goodbye is worse - he has no words for me. I turn to Percy, sighing once more. I swear to god - two weeks ago, I was a regular twenty six year old. Now I feel like a seventy six year old.

"Love you..." I kiss Percy's forehead and lean back in my chair, closing my eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>So...this chapter was longer originally, but I thought 3000 words was pushing it. I like having my chapters all equal lengths and usually I stick to around 2300 because then , but as this is a chapter posted on Boxing Day...a little holiday present for you all.<strong>

**What did you all think of Poseidon's POV? It took me a while to change it (not to mention I accidentally reloaded the page without saving and lost about half of it :P) but I suppose it turned out well. Zeus and Hades are a little OCC, but...meh. I think it works well enough. Is there anything you want me to add to his POV? Anything you want me to change? Do you ****_like _his POV? Would you like Percy's POV next chapter? Any answers to these questions would be helpful.**

**If you have anything to say about this chapter, please leave a review. If you like this story, then add to favourites or whatever. I cannot believe the number of reviews and favourites and follows we're on, guys. It's crazy. I ****_never_** **share my work with _anyone_. I'm uber-protective over my laptop and my stories on it, and I hate it when I've written an essay for history or English and my teacher has to mark it. I just hate it. I've always thought my writing sucks - which I know now it _doesn't _because I've got over ****_250 freaking reviews_ and I got the award for English at school. In short: thank you, this has been quite a boost for my self-esteem. I'm debating asking my English teacher if she will help me with my writing or something.**

**Yeah. More babbling. I'm going to go now. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and the next one will be out soon! Have great evenings/days/whatever-it-is-for-you! :)**

**(PS: Omfg it's snowing where I live. That's not happened in years! XD Happy holidays again!)**


	27. Chapter 26

**Hi, guys, I'm back again with Chapter 26! So, I'm going to jump straight into things - practically all of you guys said in the reviews that you wanted Percy's POV in this chapter, so here it is. I've mentioned this before: I'm not a medical professional, so I know very little about being comatose and what it's like and such. I've made it up, though if any of you know the facts about it, feel free to mention them in a review.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, by the way! As usual, I appreciate your support. If you have any suggestions for one-shots you want me to write (I've began a series called Monsters Under the Bed, but there's only one on there for now) also fee free to mention that. For everyone who followed and added to favourites, thank you to you also. You're awesome :)**

**Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoy this chapter - and like Percy's POV again. Do you want me to do Poseidon's POV again? I'll be happy to if you want me to.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT ON PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>The only way to describe the hours that passed is irritating.<p>

You try being an ADHD kid stuck in a body that won't move. At all. You can hear stuff and feel stuff, but your eyes won't open. You can't move; not even your toes will twitch. The most you can manage is the occasional flinch, possibly, or even a tear. Yet as horrible as it is, I can't help but feel relieved that my vision is black. The moon hasn't reappeared and I've not had any nasty flashbacks. Thank god.

Poseidon's been at my side since I entered the hospital, I think. It feels like his hand holding mine, and I often hear his voice. I wouldn't be surprised if he moves _into_ the hospital room that I'm in, just to stay with me. I'd like that; the idea of being alone now is more unbearable than ever.

Time passes slowly when you're unable to move. You don't sleep, because you _are_ sleeping. It's like when you wake up of a morning and you don't open your eyes because you have no reason to so you just lie there half-asleep - aware of what's happening around you, but not responding. As a result, I'm driven to the point of insanity by boredom by the time someone around me speaks.

"Mr Olympia?"

It's that doctor again from, well, it must have been yesterday. The guy who told Poseidon about all my injuries. I have to admit, I was surprised when he read out that really long list. I don't really feel any pain - just a dull ache. It must be because of all the painkillers I've been given.

I feel the hand holding mine (which had gone slack a while ago) twitch and tighten. Poseidon waking up, no doubt. "Yeah?" his tired voice says.

"Your brothers have just arrived with their children," the doctor says. "Would you like me to send them in?"

Zeus and Hades? If I could have, I would have punched my uncles and father yesterday. The painkillers hadn't kicked in completely and I was a bit annoyed because of the pain (which is understandable, right?) and all they were doing was arguing - _loudly_, might I add. I mean, I know my uncles are naturally grumpy people, but surely they could have had the decency of _not _making noise when I'd been practically dead a few hours before?

"Sure," Poseidon replies, his voice still sounding a little sleepy. "Send them in,"

A couple of seconds later, I hear people shuffling into the room. Their footsteps are small and quiet, so obviously they're not my uncles. They're my cousins.

"Percy..." I hear Thalia whisper.

"Hi, kids," Poseidon says weakly, his hand stroking my hair.

"He looks..." Nico's voice wavers with uncertainty and fear. "Different. He doesn't look like Percy,"

"No, he doesn't," Poseidon agrees sadly. "You want to come say hi? The doctor said he might be able to hear us,"

I feel a hand touching my ankle cautiously from the end of the bed, and another larger hand carefully holding the hand that Poseidon doesn't have hold of. "Is he going to be alright?" Thalia asks fearfully. She almost doesn't sound like my cousin - usually, Thalia is bright and happy and cocky and annoying. Not terrified.

"Well, he got through the night," Poseidon says. "That's a good sign. He has lot a lot of blood, however, and he will be in a coma for...well, we don't know yet,"

"But he'll wake up, right?" Nico asks.

"...Maybe,"

I can't tell what my cousins are doing. Nico's hand withdraws, like he's scared his touch hurts me. Thalia keeps holding my hand. I hear sniffling, but I can't tell who is it that's crying. Nico, probably.

"Is Annabeth awake?" Poseidon asks after a few minutes of silence.

"No," Thalia says. Her voice is trembling slightly. "She was sedated in the ambulance and it hasn't worn off yet. They think she'll be awake by tomorrow. Athena's with her,"

"I'd visit her," Poseidon says. "But I'm not leaving Percy,"

"Maybe you can ask them to move her into this room," Nico suggests quietly. "Then Annabeth doesn't have to move when she wants to see Percy, and Percy won't have to move when he wants to see Annabeth,"

My mind perks at the idea. _Please agree, please agree, please agree_...

"I'll ask," Poseidon says. _Thank you_!

They fall silent again. After a couple of minutes, a doctor pokes his head into the room, telling my cousins that they have to leave soon - until my health is more stable, only my immediate family (meaning Poseidon) is allowed to see me for long periods.

"You'd better wake up son, Jackson," Thalia mutters, squeezing my hand. "You've just become part of this family. Don't leave so soon,"

"You're my big brother, Percy," adds Nico. "You're like B-Bianca. Don't leave us. Please,"

Like Bianca? Did Nico just compare me to the big sister he and his father considered an angel? The girl who died, therefore breaking my little cousin's heart. It would have broken it completely if it weren't for Hades. I mean...damn. Now I'm _definitely _waking up. For him.

"Thanks for coming, guys," Poseidon says. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Will you be coming home soon, uncle?" asks Thalia.

"No. I'm staying with Percy. But your dads might bring you both over tomorrow,"

"Good," Nico mutters.

I assume that Poseidon gives Thalia and Nico both hugs before they leave. My dad then sighs, turning back to me and stroking my hair. "They're right," he says quietly. "You're part of his family now, son. And we Olympias don't give in easily. Hopefully, that's a trait that's been passed on to you,"

_It has_, I insist. _I'm not leaving you dad. I promise._

Poseidon sighs. "You're usually a light sleeper," he mutters. "But at least you can't have nightmares when you're like this,"

_I never have nightmares with you anyway._

The doctor returns a few minutes later, asking Poseidon whether he wanted anything to eat or drink. Poseidon declines politely, but before the doctor leaves, he seems to remember something.

"By the way," he says. "I was wondering whether the young girl who was with my son - Annabeth Chase - could be moved into this room at some point,"

"I'm afraid that isn't my decision, sir," say the doctor.

"Please. They're good friends. I have no doubt that they'll want to see each other,"

The doctor pauses. "I'll see what I can do,"

Poseidon sighs. "Thank you,"

And with that, the doctor leaves. Poseidon deposits another kiss on my forehead, and that's basically the last thing I register before my mind wanders off somewhere else, trying to find something entertaining to think about.

* * *

><p>The next day (I presume), Annabeth is moved into the same room as me.<p>

Obviously, I don't see it, but it's clear by the sound of squeaky wheels and doctors and nurses talking quietly. I've been listening carefully for what the doctors are saying as they bustle around me, probably checking my physical state and stuff, but I can't hear any dead giveaways about whether or not I'm going to ever wake up.

Poseidon hasn't left my side. He's stayed in the chair besides my bed, either stroking my hair or gently holding my hand. I actually don't think that he's broken physical contact since Hestia came yesterday. He's pretty much silent until I hear a foreign movement on the other side of the room – Annabeth stirring. Poseidon's chair creaks as he turns to face her.

"Annabeth?" he asks. "Are you awake?"

She groans quietly. "...What?"

_Not dumb-sounding at all, Wise-Girl._

Poseidon shifts, like he wants to go to her side, but he doesn't move from his chair where he can hold my hand. "Hey, it's me," he says. "How are you feeling?"

"Percy..." Annabeth mutters. "Percy!"

"Don't move!" Poseidon warns. His hand releases mine and I assume that he goes over to her side to make sure she doesn't hurt herself trying to get out of bed. "Annabeth, don't worry. Percy's alive – look, he right there,"

There's silence for a few seconds.

"Oh my god..." Annabeth breathes.

I feel Poseidon holding my hand again. "How are you feeling?" he asks her quietly, brushing my hair off my forehead for the fiftieth time today.

"My head hurts," says Annabeth. "And my leg. That's about it. Have I been out long?"

"Since yesterday. The doctors sedated you when you started to panic,"

I can almost see Annabeth's blush. "Oh," she says. "Is my mom here?"

"She was here all night with you, but left this morning to get some sleep. She said she'd be back by twelve – which is in half an hour – and asked me to watch over you," Poseidon says.

"What's wrong with Percy?" Annabeth questions, sounding relieved. She must have thought her mom was in work or something. I wonder why Poseidon hasn't gone home for sleep. Maybe he has, but I've been blanked out.

"He's in a coma for now," says Poseidon. "The doctors say that he may be okay, although there is a chance that he...th-that he might now wake up,"

_Of course I am_! I protest.

"N-no," Annabeth gasps. "He has to wake up! He promised he'd be fine,"

_I am, Wise-Girl! I'm going to wake up – my body's just being stupid._

"I know," Poseidon says gently. "The doctor also said that he might be able to hear us. I've asked him numerous times to wake up and I've told him that he has to, otherwise he's grounded,"

_Wow, dad, just wow..._

Annabeth must be frustrated at me already, because she suddenly snaps. "Move your _damn_ ass, Seaweed-Brain!"

I can't help it. My body has been stubbornly still for the past couple of hours, but at Annabeth's exclamation, I snort with laughter. Not properly – all my mouth does is twitch and a small smile flickers on my face. But inside I'm going hysterical. It feels weird laughing, but not moving at the same time...

I think, _Will do, Wise-Girl. I promise you I'm trying..._

"He moved!" Poseidon gasps, hand tightening around mine. "I think he laughed at you, Annabeth. He must be able to hear us,"

"Can't he move at all?" asks Annabeth, sounding somewhere between amused and solemn.

Poseidon pauses for a second. I try with all my strength to twitch another muscle, but nothing moves. I curse and curse in my head because of my failure, using words that would make even Dionysus the Alcoholic cringe.

"No," Poseidon says. He sounds a little saddened, but I guess that my small movement from before gave him hope. They go silent again. Eventually, Poseidon asks, "Annabeth, I need you to tell me about what happened when you were...wh-when you were taken,"

"E-Everything?" Annabeth stutters.

"As much as possible," confirms Poseidon. "I just think that it will be better for you to recount it to someone you know, like me, rather than an unfamiliar police officer,"

Police officer? Huh, he must have spoken to one when I was blanked out. Annabeth is silent for a few seconds. "We were in the garden," she says, so quiet I have trouble hearing her. "Percy gave me a present for my birthday,"

"He did?"

"This ring," I assume that Annabeth pulls out her necklace. Hopefully, the doctors have let us keep both our necklaces on, or at least gave them back to us. "He said it was his mom's and he wanted someone good to take care of it. What an idiot. I told him he was stupid to give me something so precious,"

"You must mean a lot to him, then," Poseidon says quietly, sounding fond. "Percy's mom definitely meant a lot to him, even though she wasn't perfect. That's a very beautiful ring..."

"I know," says Annabeth. "Anyway, he gave me this, and we went silent for a bit. Then Percy asked whether he could trust me with a secret,"

_Uh-oh_, I think, remembering what the secret was. It was about Kronos – the secret that I'd kept from Poseidon. My heart sinks as I realise that if I'd only told Poseidon about it, maybe we wouldn't have been taken. Maybe this would never have happened. I could be at home, with my cousins, scar-less. I'm such an idiot..!

Annabeth stumbles over her words. "S-Something happened...but he d-didn't want to tell you, because it scared him and he was worried that it would hurt you if you knew,"

"What do you mean?" asks Poseidon, tone sharp. If I could, I'd wince. I feel bile in my throat from the guilt.

"Kronos," Annabeth whispers, terrified by just the name. My insides freeze similarly at the mention of the cruel man. "About two weeks ago, he was in Percy's room...he snuck in there. Percy thought it was a d-dream at first. When he realized it wasn't, he didn't know how to tell you,"

"He should have told me," Poseidon mutters. I can tell that it's too quiet for Annabeth to hear. "Oh, Percy, why didn't you tell me? I could have protected you..."

_I'm sorry_, I think, sobbing mentally. It's funny how I can go from dying of laughter to crying within just a few seconds. _Dad, I'm so sorry, I-I wanted to tell you...please forgive me..._

As though he can tell what I'm thinking, Poseidon kisses my forehead. "Go on," he says to Annabeth after a couple of seconds. "What happened then?"

"I told Percy he was stupid for not telling you," says Annabeth. Why does she sound guilty? "I said that he could get hurt by Kronos if he goes into his room again. Percy got mad, saying that he wanted to but he was too scared, and he stormed off. I yelled at him to come back, and then I heard him shout,"

Poseidon's breath hitches, as though the scene was running through his head. It's running through mine as well. I remember the scene of our abduction painfully. A non-existent shudder runs through me.

Annabeth continues after a pause, her voice trembling. Is she crying? "I ran after him and all I saw was a man with a black mask holding Percy. Percy bit his hand and yelled at me to run, but I was too shocked. Another man grabbed me and covered our mouths with a funny-smelling cloth. We were thrown into a van and I could tell I was fainting. I reached out for Percy and managed to grab his hand before I blacked out,"

"It's alright," Poseidon says quietly. I can hear quiet sobbing from Annabeth's side of the room. "I'm sorry, Annabeth. I know this is hard for you. Do you want to wait for your mom to get here before you continue?"

"N-No," Annabeth says. "I want t-to get it out of the w-way,"

They're both silent for a minute, whilst Annabeth calms down a little. Poseidon releases my hand for a second to hand her a tissue or something (I don't know, because my eyes won't freaking open...).

"I woke up first," Annabeth says, her voice still shaky from crying. "When we were being thrown into the room. I had a look around, but there was now way to get out; the only door in there was locked, and there was no furniture or windows. Percy woke up a little later. When he did, he blamed himself for us being kidnapped, because he ran away. I told him it wasn't his fault and then Kronos stormed in,"

"So it was him?" Poseidon asks. "I _knew _it! That bastard..."

Poseidon rants for a couple of seconds; cussing, mainly. Annabeth's silent whilst he lets all his anger out. A minute later, he's calm again. "Sorry," he huffs. "Continue..."

"Kronos came in and he spoke to us. Percy asked why he'd taken us, and he said that he knew the 'game' he was playing with him wouldn't work. Apparently you weren't answering his threats and he had to take action," Annabeth recounts.

_Oh, damn,_ I think as Poseidon's hand tightens around mine. _No, dad, don't think like that! This isn't your fault!_

My heart literally breaks when I realise that I can't tell him that.

"Percy spoke back to him like he wasn't afraid, but I knew he was," continues Annabeth. "He was hiding it. Kronos left. I was scared, and Percy told me I had to be strong. He asked me not to say anything when they hurt him, because we knew that they would. I don't know how he expected me to do that. We hugged, and we fell asleep..."

"So stupid," Poseidon mutters. "You are _so_ stupid, Percy,"

"That's what I told him," Annabeth giggles half-heartedly. I can feel myself giggling along with her (in my head) but then I remember what happened next. Annabeth must remember as well, because she sobers up quickly. "W-we woke up to Kronos returning, but there were three others with him. One of them grabbed me, and another grabbed Percy. They threw him on the floor in front of Kronos. The third man gave Kronos a belt a-and started hitting P-Percy with it,"

Annabeth's voice breaks. Poseidon's breath hitches. I guess that it's an extremely different thing – first hearing what your child's injuries are, and then hearing what they were caused by.

I think about ten minutes pass. Poseidon kisses my head again (overprotective much? Still, I can't deny that I like it) and mutters. "I love you, even if you are stupid..." he sighs. "This is my fault,"

_DAMN IT DAD! NO. IT. ISN'T!_

"Can I sit next to him?" Annabeth asks. "Please. I can't see him from here,"

Poseidon hesitates. "Move slowly," he instructs after a few seconds. His hand releases mine and I hear a lot of movement on the other side of the room. Annabeth grunts a couple of time in pain. I hear an 'umph' as she falls, but Poseidon must catch her in time.

"Careful," he says.

"I want to see him," Annabeth whispers.

I don't know what happens then, but something tells me that Poseidon picks Annabeth up and carries her across the room. I hear him sitting down on the chair, probably with my friend in his lap. I feel a cold, shaking, bandaged hand grab mine.

"Remember your promise, Percy," Annabeth says. "Always. You remember that?"

_I remember..._

She continues, "You have to wake up. I don't care whether it's hard. You can't leave me now. I'm going to have nightmares about this for years and I can't get through it alone, Percy..."

"He'll wake up," Poseidon mutters, his hand stroking my hair.

Annabeth is quiet for a while, humming slightly. I recognise the tune and sing along in my head, another part of me breaking with every minute that I can't see her or my dad or _anything_.

Before anything else can be said, I hear the door open. "Annabeth!" Athena's voice gasps. A second later I feel Annabeth's hand leave mine as her mother presumably sweeps her away from Poseidon in a hug.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Athena demands; her tone scolding but undoubtedly worried about her daughter's health. "You're going to hurt yourself even more..."

"I had to get closer to him, mom," Annabeth cries.

Meanwhile, I've been focusing on showing a sign. I let out all of my emotions (which is kind of hard, considering I've only recently been letting people see them) until a tear rolls down my cheek.

"Annabeth," Poseidon says softly. "Percy heard you,"

Annabeth sniffs. "Wh-what?"

"Look,"

I presume that Annabeth has come over to have a look at my face. "Is he crying?" she asks. Poseidon wipes away the tear and presses a kiss to my temple.

"No," he replies. "It's the only way I think he can show that he can hear us and he'll wake up. He did the same in the ambulance on the way here,"

"Poor boy," Athena mutters, surprising me. I've never thought that Athena really likes me, but I guess that the fact that I was abducted with her daughter and helped her escape has landed me on her good side. Plus, I can imagine how pitiful I look right now.

_I'll wake up_, I insist mentally. _Guys, I promise. I'm not going to give in. Annabeth, you're not going to be alone. We'll have nightmares together, I guess..._

"You're such an idiot, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth murmurs.

_Guilty._

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? Did you like it? Did you not? Be welcome to tell me or leave any suggestions for improvements.<strong>

**Last chapter, by the way, a lot of you reviewers seriously made me laugh. I mean...yeah, I was highly amused. Some of you are very creative in the way you think XD Thanks again to all you reviewers and followers. I know I say it every chapter, but hey, you deserve it. I seriously can't believe how many reviews we have, and follows and favourites...**

**Once again - if there's anything you want me to add, or any suggestions for a one-shot, further chapters, whatever - leave it in a review. Even if you don't have a FanFiction account, you can still post. I'm working on one-shots, by the way, I'm just a little lacking in inspiration.**

**Hope you all have nice days and whatever. Until the next chapter :)**


	28. Chapter 27

**Hey, guys, I'm back. Late, again, but I'm back. And Chapter 27 is here!**

**So...as you probably know by now, I'm not good at making things last, if that makes sense. Like arguments and grudges and kidnappings and stuff like that - I struggle to make them fill over a single chapter. Writing about being in a come is the same so...yeah.**

**No one asked for Poseidon's POV this chapter, so I've kept it as Percy's, though the next chapter will probably have to be re-written and put in his POV instead - it doesn't really make sense in Percy's, and it's unrealistic. And you probably know by now that I'm sort of obsessed with making things realistic XD**

**And guess what...we hit 300 reviews. Omfg. Just give me a second whilst I do my victory dance. You guys...gah, I'm at a loss for words. Thank you so much for supporting this story! A reviewer last chapter thought that we were at the end of the fic already. Dude, I struggle to cope with _reading _cliff-hangers. They drive me nuts. I hate surprises. You really think I'd leave this story at a cliff-hanger when I know how torturous it is? No. I'm not that mean - there are still plenty more chapters to go! :)**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. It's, uh, okay I guess. As usual, I've added bits to make it seem more real. Someone asked for a sassy comment...boom, you've got one (I think). So, I'll just shut up now. Warning: Swearing (I think...just in case, anyway).**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON!**

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><p>Over the next couple of days I get quite a few visitors. All of my cousins and friends been by. Poseidon is always at my side, along with Annabeth and Athena. Thalia, Nico, Grover, Zeus and Hades come daily. Hermes, Apollo and Artemis often accompany them. Hephaestus has dropped in a few times with Aphrodite. Dionysus, Hera and Ares have visited once due to Thalia's demand.<p>

I can't be certain how much time has passed. I think a week, maybe more, has gone. I know that Hermes's birthday was the other day. He turned eighteen on November 8th. God, that means I was abducted over two weeks ago. That's weird. It doesn't feel like that much time. But I guess that's what happens when you're in a windowless cell and in a coma.

Unfortunately, I haven't had made any significant progress in waking up. I mean, I can twitch my hand occasionally and cry freely, so if Poseidon says something stupid (like it's his fault Annabeth and I were taken) he gets the message that I can hear him and think he's an idiot. I try not to cry when anyone else is around, however. I have a feeling that the sight of tears flowing down my face would scare little Nico. When he comes to visit me he's often upset anyway.

Whenever Apollo and Hermes are here with the rest of my cousins, my uncles drag Poseidon home for a few hours to catch up on sleep and to shower and stuff. I don't mind, because I know that he needs proper rest in a bed rather than a chair. Besides, my cousins are great company. Apollo leads a quiet sing-song with them; Annabeth joins in from her bed. She still can't walk on her leg, but she's healing. Apparently I'm healing, too – going against all odds, really. The doctors expected my heart to give in on my first night. It feels weird thinking that my body was struggling to stay alive whilst I felt completely normal, just paralysed.

Apollo, Hermes, Artemis, Thalia, Grover and Annabeth sing a song quietly whilst I yell the lyrics in my head – _It's Time_ by Imagine Dragons being one of my favourite songs. Hades and Zeus have taken Poseidon home to make him rest, whilst Athena is watching us. I feel a smile tugging at my motionless lips, enjoying their singing immensely. It keeps me occupied as I'm unable to open my eyes and see anything.

"The second you're awake, kiddo," Apollo says when their song was over. "We're gonna have a big slumber party, and we're gonna sing and party all night, okay?"

_Sure, Apollo, whatever you say..._

Another day, Thalia and Nico are here again. Poseidon is talking outside with Athena and some police officers. They've found the vineyard where we were apparently kept and there are traces of mine and Annabeth's blood in one of the rooms. However, the place is empty. The police have officers stationed all around the hospital to make sure that no one can get to me or Annabeth.

Nico is, today, especially upset. I feel sorry for him. This must be really hard – after all, he is only six. Three years ago, Nico was in my place. One second Thalia and Annabeth are talking quietly to each other, the next he's sobbing quietly.

"Oh, Nico," Thalia says. I assume that she hugs him or something. "You okay, mini dude?"

"I don't like it," Nico says. "H-He doesn't look like P-Percy. He l-looks..."

"Hurt," Annabeth supplies comfortingly. "We know, Nico. But he's going to get better. He'll look more like himself soon – I'll bet you any money,"

Nico keeps crying. I feel my heart ache. Poor kid, really. I wish that I could just open my eyes. Or speak. Anything. Lift his feelings, at the least. He shouldn't be crying over me...

"Damn it, you're making me tear up now," Thalia mutters. I hear Annabeth sniffle.

_Oh, hell no! You can't all go crying over me_!

The doctors have been saying that I'll be awake before New Years, hopefully. But that's months away. I can't wait that long. I need to wake up. Now. Being like this is hurting everyone, and I don't like it. My doctor (I've finally learnt his name – Dr Baker) told Poseidon that if I'll only wake up through my own determination.

Well, I've certainly found a motivation.

_Open, open, open, open,_ I chant, fighting against that stupid weight on my eyes. I use what strength I have to pry them open. I see a crack of light. _Yes!_ _Try harder!_

I don't think that anyone notices the fluttering of my eyes. I've been close to opening them before, when I hear Poseidon blaming himself again. But I guess the movement was so small, he couldn't tell. Anyway, I get closer to opening them now than I ever have before.

I can hear my cousins crying freely now. They must have been holding it in until now. I assume that they're all hugging too. Well, now I know what I'm going to say to them when I can manage words.

I see light again and my heart lifts. Using that and the sound of my cousins and best friend crying, I keep pushing. More light. My eyes open. They _open_! For a second, the brightness of the room overwhelms me. I don't want to, but they close again. It takes me a couple more minutes to reopen them, and when I do, I blink slowly, and I can see. Finally, for the first time in ages, I can _see_.

The doctors are _so_ going to faint.

I can't move my head, but in the corner of my eye I can see Thalia hugging Annabeth on a bed to my left, as I'd thought she would be. Nico is curled up between them. It's a sweet sight. I'm glad I woke up. But it's painful one.

Wait, if I can open my eyes, what else can I do? Can I move? I twitch my hand. Well, I've been able to do that for a while. Can I move anything else? My arm? I try, but it's a no.

A further five minutes later (the clock is on the wall in front of me, right in my line of vision) I lift my arm off the bed an inch. Progress, I suppose. It's better than lying paralysed on the bed. My eyes close again, and while I can't reopen them. _God_, this is annoying. And tiring. Now, what next? Can I talk? It takes a few tries, but soon I make a small noise in the back of my throat.

It's official. I've made it out of my comatose state. I'm awake, and I've defied all odds. Take that, Kronos.

I smirk under the oxygen mask that is still over my nose. "Y'know," I rasp, mouth as dry as sandpaper. It hurts to speak, but I force back a wince. "You guys are _so_ sappy..."

They gasp. Thalia whips around to face me. Nico slides off the bed dazedly. Annabeth sits up straight. For a few seconds, they stare at me, blinking as though they can't believe it (which they probably can't). And then Annabeth shrieks happily, "Percy!"

BANG! The door flies open and Poseidon runs in, looking panicked. "What's wrong?" he asks, eyes scanning me instinctively for any sign of a threat. For a second, he's still, and then the brightest smile I've ever seen on his face appears. "Percy!"

He rushes over to my side. I try to laugh, but my voice isn't ready for that. Instead I manage to tug the corners of my lips up into a smile, tears building in my eyes with happiness. Poseidon cups my face, giving me the closest he could manage to a hug whilst I'm in the state I'm in, and kisses my head. Thalia and Nico rush over and Athena slowly helps Annabeth from her bed.

"You're awake!" Nico shouts, jumping on to the bed besides me.

"I...I didn't notice," I croak, amused. I wince when the bed rocks, but I really, really don't care. Not right now.

"You idiot!" Thalia exclaims, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "How long have you been able to open your eyes?"

"Like, ten m-minutes," I say. "Th-they kept c-closing...I could hear you g-guys crying, so..."

Annabeth comes over to my side, a wide smile on her face. Wow, she looks rough. Her face is bruised in places, and cut and grazed. There are a few stitches on her temple. A lot of her body is probably bandaged beneath the hospital gown she's wearing, which is the same as the one I'm wearing. I can't imagine how bad I look. "I didn't think you'd wake," she says, smiling. Her eyes are still wet with tears. "Could you hear everything we said?"

I manage a small nod. "Everything," I confirm. "Ever since I c-closed my eyes on the side of the r-road," I pause, my voice positively killing me. "I've h-heard everything..."

"Can you guys give us a minute?" Poseidon asks, hand stroking my hair. He's still beaming and his eyes are shining. "I just want to talk to Percy for a second,"

"We'll get the doctor," nods Thalia, dragging Nico out the door.

"Let's see if you can walk any better," Athena mutters, helping Annabeth out. A second later, it's just Poseidon and I in the room.

I realise that his cheeks are wet, as well as his eyes. "Why are you crying?" I whisper.

"Because I'm happy," Poseidon says. "So happy..."

"It wasn't y-your fault," I tell him, trying to put as much seriousness into my tone as possible. "It never w-was, dad. You couldn't h-have stopped what happened,"

"You don't understand, Percy. I could have. Annabeth said that Kronos took you because I was ignoring his threats-," Poseidon says, shaking his head.

I cut him off weakly, "I know, I-I h-heard. I heard e-everything, remember? N-now, I don't blame you, so p-please stop beating yourself up over it. I-it's not your fault..." I trail off, my voice burning. There's also a big ball of emotion choking it up.

Poseidon shakes his head again, cupping my cheek. "I thought I lost you..." he admits, resting his forehead on my hair. "Don't ever scare me like that again, alright?"

"No promises," I mutter cheekily.

Poseidon presses a long, firm kiss to my head. "I'm serious. I love you too much,"

I smile under my mask, even though it hurts my cheeks. Talking at all _really_ hurts - have I mentioned that? - but I don't care. "I-I love you t-too dad. And I'll n-never leave you. That's a-all I could keep thinking w-when I was...y'know, _leaving_,"

Poseidon winces, but his smile doesn't falter. "Good,"

The door opens and who I assume is Dr Baker comes in. "You're awake!" he gasps, closing the door behind him. "I-it's true. You're actually awake!"

"You're Dr B-Baker, right?" I ask.

He smiles. "So, you could hear us..."

He does a really detailed check up on me. Dr Baker tries not to ask too many questions, knowing that it hurts my throat to talk, and after half an hour concludes that I'm out of a coma. "This is amazing," he says for, like, the tenth time. "You weren't even expected to survive one night...never mind wake up after two weeks..."

"We Olympia's are stubborn," Poseidon smiles, brushing back my hair. I don't think that I've seen him this happy since he got custody of me.

"And Jacksons," I add. Finally, I can _talk _(sorry, I'm just a bit excited about it). I can open my eyes. You have no idea how nice it is to be able to add my thoughts to a conversation again. Being ADHD, biting my tongue and staying still are not my fortes.

Poseidon nods in agreement. "And Jacksons,"

Thalia, Nico, Annabeth and Athena all come back in. My cousins and friend swarm around my bed, asking me questions like how I feel and what I've been doing whilst in a coma. I tell them that there was nothing to do but think and scream things mentally at everyone.

"When you t-told me to get my ass in g-gear," I say to Annabeth, remembering when she woke up. "I was going hysterical. Literally c-crying with laughter o-on the inside,"

"I could tell," Annabeth says. "Your face twitched. I assume that you heard me calling you an idiot, too,"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, of c-course. I would t-take offence, too, except I-I know it's true,"

Everyone laughs. "Good," Poseidon says.

About ten minutes later, Zeus and Hades arrive. I scold them for arguing so loud when I was first brought in here, causing them to chuckle because they'd predicted that I could hear them, and thank them for taking of Poseidon and making sure he didn't waste away. After that, however, they take Thalia and Nico home because it's actually pretty late – nearing 10pm. Despite that, Hestia visits, along with Artemis, Apollo and Hermes (it's a Saturday night, so it's alright for them).

And what's the first thing Hermes does when he sees me? He pulls out his phone. "Selfie!"

"S-seriously? Is this going t-to go on your social m-media site?" I ask, smiling anyway as my cousin pulls a stupid face. Usually, I don't like having pictures taken of me, but now it doesn't really bother me, so long as I'm with someone else in the photo. I see my face on the inside camera and resist the urge to puke. Holy crap, no one was joking when they said I was unrecognisable.

"Nah, it's a bit gory for my fans to see. But when you get better, you're going to be internet famous," Hermes says. "Being my cousin and all,"

Fame is actually a common thing in this family, whilst we're on the subject of it. Zeus owns his airline company, of course. Hera is a retired model and now organises weddings; Apollo is following in her footsteps as a swimsuit model whilst at the same time training to be a doctor. Hephaestus is well-known in the world of mechanics Aphrodite is also a model - plastered all over billboards and TV adverts for make-up products. Hermes, however, is probably the most famous with his social media site. I never realised beforehand, but the faces of my family are all familiar ones. They're always in magazines in articles about Hermes. Thalia and Nico both appear in Hermes's photos all the time. Anyway, that's another subject. The second Hermes posts a picture of us both together I'll be known by, like, thousands of people. That'll change my life, if you think about it.

If it hasn't been changed already, that is...

Apollo opens his mouth to say something and probably engage in some sort of massive conversation, but Poseidon cuts him off. "No more questions now, Apollo," he says. "Percy's voice is still sore from lack of use,"

"Ahh," my cousin pouts. "Fine. But as soon as you're normal again, you'll answer _all _my questons, right?"

I grimace. "Ah, maybe,"

"You're such a bully," Artemis scoffs, slapping her brother's shoulder. "The poor kid's just woke up, Apollo,"

Apollo shrugs, grinning. "Ehh..."

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><p><strong>So, first question - how'd you like the cousins' reactions? I wasn't sure what to do...I mean, I knew how I wanted them to act, but I also wanted to keep them in character as they are in the books. Thalia, Nico and Annabeth...well, I thought that was cute. Rage at me, but that was how I envisioned it before I even got started on the chapter (and all the previous chapters).<strong>

**So...Percy's awake! Are you guys happy? I'm pretty happy. I felt bad for writing such a depressing story (as you guys keep describing it :P). I've got to go now, as it seems FanFiction is seriously disagreeing with my laptop, so...yeah. Hop you all enjoyed - leave me a review if you have the time. Thank you all! :D**


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